


The Choices We Make

by reallyqween_92



Category: Kim Possible (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Injury, Injury Recovery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:14:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 40,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25824949
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reallyqween_92/pseuds/reallyqween_92
Summary: Kim is a single college student who just can't seem to keep a relationship going for very long. One night she is out alone and runs into Shego. Instead of fighting, they start hanging out together and hit it off. Before long, they both begin to develop feelings for each other. But things get complicated when Shego admits her feelings and Kim freaks out. The next time they meet it's in a battle that will change their lives.
Relationships: Kim Possible/Shego, Ron Stoppable/Yori
Comments: 22
Kudos: 193





	1. What Now?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Welcome to my work, I hope you enjoy reading it. This was always one of my favorite cartoons as a kid, mostly because I had a crush on Shego. Let me know what you think, I just wanted to write this for fun. I'm going to be updating weekly and occasionally biweekly depending on how busy work is. This first chapter is going to be brief and is a flash forward from the rest of the story. Thanks for checking it out!

“Sh-Shego?” Kim’s ears were ringing as she struggled to sit up, brushing dust and crumbled concrete off of herself. Plumes of dust and debris obscured most of what remained of Drakken’s latest lair. The domed ceiling above her continued to crumble. Kim struggled to her feet. The explosion that had previously been the super laser death ray had thrown her 20 feet across the room and the shock was beginning to wear off. Kim gulped a breath of dusty air and coughed, eyes still scanning the room for any hint of lime green. Oof, those are some busted ribs, Kim thought, clutching her side. She was certain she had more injuries that would need treatment soon, but right now she needed to find Shego. After a moment her eyes finally landed on what she was looking for.

“Shit, Shego!” Kim rushed over to the woman and bent down next to her. Shego had taken the worst of the blast and the worst of the damage. She had been thrown into the metal wall of the lair and fallen face down. Kim froze, kneeling next to her motionless body. Her hands shook as she gently rolled Shego over, searching for any signs of life. There were cuts and bruises all over Shego’s face and Kim could only imagine the damage that she couldn’t see under the torn up black and green fabric of Shego’s bodysuit. Kim bit her lip, in any other situation she would have let her eyes and mind roam, but right now she needed to know if Shego was alive. She has to be, Kim thought desperately.

She placed two fingers against the hot skin of Shego’s neck and waited. It felt like an eternity had passed when finally she felt a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. Kim sighed in relief, cradling Shego’s head in her lap. She felt the prick of tears in the corners of her eyes and knew it wasn’t from the dust that was settling around them. 

“Oh Shego, what were you thinking? Why would you do that? After how I’ve treated you, you still saved my stupid ass, but why?” Kim asked, staring intently at the unconscious woman in her lap as if she could answer. As if Kim didn’t already know in the back of her mind why Shego had done it. Kim ran her hands through Shego’s long hair, inhaling the familiar smell of eucalyptus and mint, but her fingers came away sticky with dark blood. Shego needed medical attention more than Kim did, even with her plasma’s added healing factor. The feeling of relief that Kim had felt all but dissolved when a new sound reached her ears. It was the rumble of incoming Global Justice helicopters, on their way to collect Drakken, who had gotten trapped in the elevator by falling rubble, and Shego. They would be carted off to prison, just like usual and Kim would be congratulated for another job well done. Except this time, Kim felt a ball of anxiety form in the pit of her stomach. A few months ago, Kim would have been happy to hand Shego over to GJ. A few months ago, Kim wouldn’t have even dreamed of cradling Shego’s head in her lap stroking her bruising cheek.

Things were different now, Kim realized, and she had a choice to make. Shego had made her choice when the lair had exploded and now it was up to Kim. She could let them take Shego and things would go back to some semblance of normal. She would still be the hero and Shego still the villain. Or Kim could step out of the comfort zone that she had lived in for so long that it was becoming a restriction and act based on her own desires for once in her life. Time was running out as the first helicopters landed on the edges of the collapsed roof. There was still enough dust for Kim to sneak out, but she had to decide now. Kim took a deep breath and set her jaw.


	2. Another Night Alone?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand we're back to the actual beginning of the story now. Chapters are going to be around this length for a while, unlike the first chapter. Hope you enjoy it!

A few months earlier…

Kim sat alone, perched on a stool at the very end of the bar staring down at her third drink of the night. She wasn’t really sure what it was, but she was sure that she didn’t really care. It was a Friday night and somehow, once again, Kim found herself without a date or anything to do. Her spring semester of college had just ended and the few summer classes she was taking wouldn’t start up for another couple weeks. Her bestie Monique had ditched her for a fashion designer conference across the US and Ron and his family had gone to Japan for the whole month to celebrate Hana’s 5th birthday. Despite being a world saving superstar, Kim found that she didn’t have many close friends and her dating life had been dismal to say the least. The longest relationship she had been able to maintain was with Ron, and they had barely lasted 8 months before the long distance thing proved they were better as friends anyway. He had understood that going on missions was a part of being with Kim, but no one else did. It left her feeling guilty and whoever she was dating feeling neglected, so after a few years of trying, Kim had low-key given up on dating in general. Saving the world was easier, anyway.

Which was why Kim sat here alone at a bar near her university campus nursing a drink she barely tasted in the first place. I’m in a rut, aren’t I? Kim asked herself, already knowing the answer. School was fine and she did enjoy learning, but it always felt like something was missing. Since the Lowordian invasion, super villains and their crimes had dropped. Kim still went on missions, some for Global Justice and some freelance, it wasn’t as often or quite the same. She missed the thrill of the fight that certain villains put up. Busting Killigan or Senior Senior Senior just wasn’t the adrenaline rush she craved. Only one person ever made her feel challenged like that.  
Kim had pondered that thought more and more as the time between fights with Shego stretched on longer and longer. At first, Kim had been glad to have a break from fighting Shego. The fights were good and she never truly lost one, but it was still fighting. After a while though Kim realized that she missed it. She missed the jabbing remarks and actual jabs from Shego. She missed fighting someone so powerful who could trade blows with her indefinitely, or at least until Drakken’s scheme was ruined. She missed Shego’s bright green eyes, intent on their fight at hand, but not without a mischievous glint. She even began to miss the way that Shego smelled, combined with the electric smell of her plasma powers. It reminded Kim of the smell of an oncoming thunderstorm. 

This train of thought usually led Kim straight into uncomfortable town because it brought up a question that always nagged at the back of her mind. How had Shego not killed her yet? Kim knew Shego was strong, probably even stronger than Kim herself was, so how had she not managed to do more than bruise and scratch Kim? The obvious answer was that Shego was holding back, but why? Kim always cycled through as many reasons as she could come up with before landing on the obvious one; Shego wasn’t trying to hurt Kim.  
The fact of the matter was that Shego had actually saved Kim on more occasions than either of them would ever admit and her flimsy excuse was always the same. No one but herself was allowed to finish Kim off. But she never did. In a few recent fights Kim had even purposefully left herself more open than usual to gauge Shego’s reaction. Like usual, Shego had come at her and taken advantage of her poor guard, but she hadn’t hit quite right to do any real damage. The most she had done was make fun of Kim for leaving her guard down in the first place. Ugh, what is Shego’s deal? And why am I thinking about that right now? Kim thought, taking another swallow of her drink. Sometimes she even let herself wonder if Shego missed her at all.  
Half an hour later Kim found herself still working on the same drink and scrolling through the newsfeed on her phone hoping to find something mission worthy so her weekend wouldn’t be totally boring.

“This seat taken?” An oddly familiar voice asked, shaking Kim from her thoughts.  
“Uh, no, it’s-” Kim glanced up and her voice died in her throat. Shego stood in front of her, a wicked grin gracing her black lips. It was jarring for Kim to see her out of her normal bodysuit, but if the dryness in her mouth was anything to go by, she wasn’t complaining. Shego was wearing a dark green top tucked into black skinny jeans that hugged her curves perfectly. She had a black leather jacket on and her long hair was pulled back from her face. She looked sexy as hell and Kim nearly choked on that thought.  
“Well, if it isn’t Princess Kimmie. All alone on a Friday night? I’m shocked,” Shego said with a smirk on her black lips as she sat down on the stool next to her. Kim just stared, eyes wide and mouth hanging slightly open. She felt her cheeks redden and her ears burn, but her embarrassment was quickly replaced by her fighting instinct. Shego noticed Kim’s grip on her glass tighten and how her muscles tensed under her freckled skin. Still just as muscular as I recalled, Shego thought, resisting the urge to lick her lips.

“Shego! What are you doing here?” Kim asked accusingly. Shego just held up her hands in surrender.

“Woah Princess, cool your jets. I’m off the clock right now, can’t you tell?” She gestured to her body and Kim cocked her head slightly like confused puppy. Shego rolled her eyes.  
“Civilian clothes, doy,” Shego said. Kim relaxed back onto her stool some, but still kept a wary eye on Shego as she ordered a drink from the bartender. In the wane light of the bar Kim could barely see the slight green tint of the woman’s skin and if she hadn’t memorized every feature of Shego’s face, she might not have recognized her in civilian clothes.

“So, what are you doing here Shego?” Kim asked again after the bartender had left. 

“Can’t a girl grab a drink at a dive bar without ulterior motives?” Shego asked, but Kim wasn’t buying the lie.

“Yeah, a girl can, but you’re not just any girl,” Kim replied. Something stirred in Shego’s heart at the way Kim had phrased that, but she refused to let it show.

“A fair point Princess, but this time it is an honest coincidence. I was on an errand in the area and I might have recalled that you went to school at this university. Thought I would look around a little and grab a drink while I was at it. It’s just my good luck that the first bar I tried just so happened to have you in it, looking al glum,” Shego said, taking a sip of her own drink. The alcohol burned the back of her throat, but the warmth of it was nothing compared to the constant warmth that her plasma powers supplied her with.

“So, really a total coincidence?” Kim asked, the disappointment evident in her voice. Shego caught it and raised an eyebrow.

“Don’t sound so disappointed Princess, I know life must be dull without our weekly fights, but you could have always found me if you need your butt kicked that badly,” Shego said. Had Kim actually missed her? Shego wondered, watching Kim’s face harden a little. She waited for a rebuttal, but Kim surprised her.

“I mean, you’re probably the only person I ever enjoyed fighting anyway,” Kim muttered. “And things have been a bit dull lately…” And I did try to find you, multiple times, I just lost the nerve halfway through, Kim thought.

“Well, perhaps I can test your skills out a little later, make sure you haven’t gone soft or anything with this nerd school shit,” Shego replied. 

“Hey, you have a college degree, so you went to nerd school too!” Kim protested and was met with a shrug. “And are you suggesting a little sparring match?” Kim asked, already feeling her heartbeat speed up at the idea of getting to fight Shego again.

“Wow Kimmie, I had no idea you were that desperate to get your hands on me, I’m flattered,” Shego replied, appreciating the way Kim’s cheeks turned bright red. Still such a cutie, Shego thought.

“As if. You’re not really my type, Shego,” Kim replied, glad that she already had a few drinks in her system to give her some courage.

“Oh Kimmie, what is your type then? Because from where I’m sitting, your type sure looks nonexistent. Or do you only go for buffoons? Those shouldn’t be hard to find at a college with multiple fraternities,” Shego remarked. Kim didn’t miss the hint of bitterness in Shego’s voice. Is she fishing for something here?

“Hey, those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones. It’s not like you’re here with someone either. In fact, I can’t recall ever seeing you date anybody,” Kim said. She definitely was fishing for something. Any information on Shego’s personal life was something Kim was interested in.

“I’m here with you, aren’t I?” Shego shot back, draining her glass and beckoning to the bartender for a refill. She was going to need some alcohol in her system to get through this night with her dignity intact. Kim rolled her eyes.

“By coincidence only,” Kim replied.

“Perhaps so, but why on earth would you know anything about my dating habits?” Shego asked, an evil thought forming in her mind. “Unless...is little Kimmie feeling a little...curious?” Shego asked, with a grin. 

“What? No! No way, Shego!” Kim replied hastily. Shego just laughed.

“Then why does your face match your hair?” Shego teased.

“Ugh, you’re so intolerable. I can’t believe I ever thought I could miss you,” Kim muttered, then she froze. She waited for the scathing remark that slip would warrant, but Shego remained silent. Kim chanced a glance over at her and noticed an odd expression on Shego’s face. What she didn’t notice yet was the slightly darker hue on the woman’s cheeks. Kim breathed a sigh of relief, assuming Shego hadn’t heard her slip. Shego in turn downed another half a drink to try and stave off her rampaging thoughts. Kimmie did miss me?? I hate that I don’t hate that, Shego thought, feeling a new warm sensation deep inside herself.

“Now that we have established that we are both here alone together, what’cha drinking Princess?” Shego asked.

“Uh, I’m not really sure? The bartender usually just gives me something since I’m a regular here. Hey!” Kim protested when Shego took the glass out of her hands and took a sip.

“Oh god, that’s so sweet! I think it’s mostly sugar syrup! What are you, 12?” Shego asked, handing the drink back to an indignant Kim.

“I’m not 12, I’m 22. And it’s not that sweet,” Kim said. She picked up her glass to take a sip and saw the imprint from Shego’s black lipstick on the rim. Shego’s lips…

“Could’ve fooled me,” Shego said, taking a sip of her own drink to wash her mouth out. “Who taught you how to drink?” Shego asked. Kim shrugged.

“Uh, one of my exes used to come here with me. Brad liked beer and I didn’t, so now I kind of just drink whatever the bartender gives me,” Kim explained.

“Brad huh? He sounds delightful,” Shego replied.

“He wasn’t,” Kim replied flatly.

“Alright, I’m going to get you a real drink and then you’re going to tell me the story there,” Shego said decidedly, already waving the bartender over. Kim was going to protest when she realized that she wanted to talk to Shego about her problems. Sure, she had Monique and Ron to talk to about stuff, but they knew her so well and she felt like she was bugging them with her sad love life at this point, so maybe a fresh perspective would be nice? Shego was usually anything but nice...though tonight seemed a little different. Maybe it was because she was off the clock? Kim’s thoughts were interrupted by Shego shoving a fresh drink into her hand. Kim looked at it skeptically.

“I don’t know Shego, I don’t usually drink things that are very strong,” Kim said hesitantly. Shego waved her hand at Kim.

“Princess, I’m not trying to get you drunk. You’re annoying enough sober, I can’t imagine what fresh hell you would be drunk. Just give it a try, okay?” Shego asked. Despite the insult, Kim decided to try it anyway. She took a tentative sip and was surprised that it actually was pretty good.

“This is actually pretty good,” Kim remarked. “What is it?”

“See? It’s a gin and tonic with a little extra elderflower syrup for your prepubescent taste buds,” Shego said.

“Again, I am an actual adult, you know,” Kim said.

“Trust me Kimmie, I know. You’ve really grown up since we first met,” Shego said. Kim was struck by the sincerity in her voice and it took her a moment to recover.

“Uh, thanks,” Kim said awkwardly, running a hand through her hair. “It is kind of hard to believe we’ve been fighting each other for seven years now,” Kim said.

“Oof, you’re making me feel old Kimmie,” Shego said.

“How old are you anyway? Ron and I always had bets on it, but honestly, I have no idea how old you really are,” Kim said.

“Now Kimmie, you know you’re never supposed to ask a lady her age,” Shego replied, but Kim just waited for an answer. “Ugh, fine, whatever, just don’t go blabbing about it to anyone. I’m 26,” Shego said.

“What? No way! How is that possible?? You already had a college degree when I was in high school! There is no way you’re only 26!” Kim protested. There is no way you look that hot and you’re only 26! Kim thought.

“Wow, I’m insulted Kimmie. Do I really look that ancient?” Shego said, feigning offense. In reality she was enjoying Kim’s stunned reaction. 

“No, I didn’t mean, I just, I can’t believe when we first started fighting you were only 19 and already incredibly skilled,” Kim replied. Shego felt her cheeks heat up a little at the unexpected compliment.

“You do realize the same could be said for you. I was 19, but you were only 15 and still matching me blow for blow,” Shego replied.

“Yeah, well, anything is possible for a Possible,” Kim replied with a cheeky grin. She took a sip of her new drink, trying to process what she had just learned. Shego was much younger than she had previously thought and it felt like that changed something between them. It brought Shego a little closer to being within Kim’s reach, or at least it felt that way. She admired Shego’s skills, she always had, and now she couldn’t help but smile at her unlikely companion.

“What are you smiling at, you cliche weirdo?” Shego asked.

“Nothing, I just feel like I know you a little better now,” Kim said. Shego made a face.

“Gross, maybe don’t do that. Instead, tell me about what happened with this Brad guy,” Shego said, trying to steer the conversation away from herself.

“There really isn’t much to say about Brad, or any of the other guys I’ve dated for that matter,” Kim said, looking down at the stained wood of the bar counter.

“Well, that in itself seems like a problem to me. If there is no spark, then there is no point,” Shego said decidedly.

“It’s not exactly that,” Kim said, even if there really was never a spark, she thought. “It’s more that they just didn’t understand how important my missions are to me.”

“Explain,” Shego said. Kim sighed.

“I think they liked the idea of dating me much more than actually dating me. They liked the idea of dating a hero, but not so much the reality of them not being my top priority,” Kim admitted.

“And that made you feel guilty, like it was your fault, didn’t it?” Shego concluded. Kim just nodded.

“Yeah, how’d you know?” Kim asked. Shego shook her head.

“Honestly? My dating life is just about as awesome as yours seems to be,” Shego admitted. Kim tried not to react and just nodded. She had already thought long and hard about Shego’s love life and gotten absolutely nowhere. Shego had flirted with a few rich men here and there while Kim was in high school, but Kim could not recall Shego actually dating anyone. She always wondered if there was something between Shego and Drakken. Now, she hoped there wasn’t since Shego was much younger than she had previously thought. 

“Not easy to find guys when you’re a full time supervillain?” Kim asked. Shego laughed a little.

“Something like that,” Shego mumbled. Why on earth am I telling Kimmie this?? Shego’s brain yelled at her. Why would she share any personal information with her arch nemesis? She watched Kim take another sip of the drink she had ordered for her and couldn’t stop herself from smiling a little. It made her feel better to know that Kim was still the Kim that she knew and...admired, even though they didn’t fight very often anymore. Shego finished her second drink and ordered a third. 

“Now we’ll be on even footing for a sparring session later,” Shego said, clinking her glass to Kim’s.

“How thoughtful of you, except I’m pretty sure you’re still going to be less tipsy than I am. You’ve had a few more years to practice your drinking,” Kim said. Shego rolled her eyes.

“More years than you think Princess. I got started a little before I turned 21,” Shego said.

“What? A villain doing illegal things? No way,” Kim replied with a laugh.

“Okay, first off, rude. And second, I’ve not been an evil villain for my entire life, you know,” Shego said.

“True, you used to be a hero with your brothers,” Kim replied, enjoying the glare that Shego sent her way.

“Don’t bring up those buffoons, they make your sidekick look like a genius, even without his stupid pants!” Shego grouched.

“Are they why you started drinking when you were younger?” Kim asked.

“Hey, why don’t we not talk about my childhood trauma and instead discuss more of your issues. Where is your buffoon these days anyway?” Shego deflected. Kim wanted to prod her more, but she knew Shego had a temper and might shut her out if she pushed too hard. For being such a badass villain, Shego was surprisingly sensitive.

“Ron is in Japan for a month with his little sister and will be visiting his girlfriend while he is there,” Kim said. Shego’s eyes widened slightly.

“The buffoon managed to trick another hot girl into dating him?” Shego asked. Kim glared at her. “Fine, he isn’t a buffoon...all of the time,” Shego relented.

“Ron is a great friend and while his antics may be a lot, I miss him,” Kim said sadly.

“Miss him in a best friend sort of way or…?” Shego asked.

“Best friend sort of way for sure. Ron and I enjoyed dating each other, but there just wasn’t a…”

“Spark,” Shego finished Kim’s sentence.

“Yeah,” Kim agreed. They fell silent for a few moments, drinking their drinks and thinking. Shego had really hit the nail on the head for Kim there. Sure, her relationships suffered because of her job, but it was more than that. They tanked every time because Kim pulled away. The first few months would be fine, they would be fun and exciting. Then, the new relationship butterflies would vanish and Kim would find herself wholly uninterested in the boy of the month. Even the sex was just okay. When Kim was feeling especially bad she wondered if there really was something wrong with her, but she couldn’t figure out how to fix it.

Shego herself had experienced something similar, just a few years earlier than Kim seemed to be going through it. She remembered being in high school and trying to date. As if it wasn’t hard enough to date when you practically glowed green and could shoot plasma bolts from your hands, she also found that boys were 100% uninteresting. It hadn’t been until she went to college early that she realized that girls were much more interesting, to put it lightly. The first time she had ever kissed a girl she had felt something come alive inside herself that she had figured she was never going to get. A spark. 

Shego couldn’t help but wonder if Kimmie was going through the same thing that she did. She hoped that maybe Kim was. It was a selfish hope and she felt a little bad about it. Kim might have been her nemesis, but Shego still didn’t want her to suffer through trying to date boys if that wasn’t really her preference. Maybe if I give her a little nudge, she might figure it out herself? Shego thought. It was worth a try, right? Shego downed the rest of her drink and then downed the last third of Kimmie’s as well.

“Alright Princess, no more sitting her stewing in our own failures. Let’s go kick the crap out of each other!” Shego said, feeling the buzz from the alcohol thrumming through her veins. It wouldn’t last long once she lit up her plasma glow, but it sure felt nice at the moment. Kim’s eyes shined.

“Now you’re speaking my language!” Kim jumped off her stool. They paid their tabs and Shego followed Kim out of the bar. Kim felt a whole mix of emotions walking side by side with Shego. She was excited to fight her skilled nemesis again, especially on what felt like good terms. She felt weirdly good and at ease hanging out with Shego that night and she was happy to learn a few details about Shego’s life. She couldn’t help but glance over at Shego’s face, noticing the way her eyes seemed to glow in the streetlights. An almost invisible smile played across Shego’s black lips and Kim wondered what those lips would feel like against her own. 

She blushed and looked away. Shego had always been attractive, Kim realized. Back in high school Kim had been so caught up in her own drama that she hadn’t noticed it as much, but right now she couldn’t imagine thinking otherwise. Shit, am I...gay? Is Shego gay? Holy shit! Kim’s mind was just about to go into overdrive when Shego spoke up.

“Yo Princess, where are we going anyway?” Shego asked, noticing that Kim had spaced out a little. Shego really didn’t mind wandering around the small town with Kim. It was just the beginning of summer, so the nights were still cool enough to be comfortable. She could hear the hum of cicadas in the trees around them. It was so peaceful. 

“Come on, there is an athletic field over here that should be empty this late at night,” Kim replied. Shego nodded, following Kim through her college campus. Kim’s long red hair flowed over her shoulders, and Shego watched Kim absently pull it up into a ponytail. Shego admired the delicate curve of Kim’s neck, wondering how the soft skin would feel under her lips. Kim shivered, feeling Shego’s eyes on her. Kim was right, the athletic field was completely empty. Shego cracked her knuckles, letting a real grin spread across her lips. Kim kicked off her heels and Shego did the same with her boots before they walked to the center of the field. 

“Alright Princess, let’s make this interesting,” Shego said with a smirk that Kim gladly returned.

“What do you suggest?” Kim asked.

“Loser buys drinks next week,” Shego said, catching Kim off guard.

“Next week?” Kim asked.

“Unless you have something better to do than drink alone next Friday night,” Shego said, falling into her fighting stance.

“Wow, I’m insulted, but since you obviously miss me so much, I’m game!” Kim replied, preparing herself for their duel.

“How kind of you Kimmie,” Shego bit out sarcastically.

“It’s just my style, you know,” Kim replied.

“Well, I sure hope you remember my style of fighting, or you’re about to be in big trouble,” Shego replied, charging Kim. It took them only a few minutes of fighting to fall into a rhythm. For every kick Kim aimed toward Shego, she responded with a perfect block and for every swipe of Shego’s hands, Kim dodged expertly. They traded blows for a good 20 minutes, neither giving or losing any ground. It was exhilarating. Kim felt more alive than she had in months, adrenaline coursing through her veins. Shego had a devilish grin plastered on her face the entire time. Kimmie’s fighting skills had only gotten better since their last battle and it filled her with respect. Shego loved a challenge, and Kim was that challenge. Eventually they paused to catch their breath.

“What,” Kim panted, “No plasma?” 

“I’m not actually trying to kill you tonight Kimmie, this is just for fun,” Shego replied, breathing heavily. She would never admit that without her plasma, Kim might actually have the upper hand if she really put her mind to it.

“Well, I hope you have fun losing!” Kim charged Shego flipping through the air to gain momentum for her kick. Shego narrowly dodged the kick, but missed the punch aimed at her shoulder. It glanced off her at the last minute, spinning her off balance just enough for Kim to find an opening. Shego tried to right herself and steady her stance as quickly as she could, but it was too late. Kim slammed into her and Shego had just a split second to see the shock in Kim’s eyes before they tumbled to the damp grass. Shego hit the ground hard, wincing slightly as Kim landed squarely on top of her.

“Oof,” Shego felt all the air hiss out of her lungs with the impact. They struggled for a second, Kim trying to get her hands underneath herself and Shego trying to shove her off.

“Would you just-” Kim grabbed Shego’s wrist, pinning them to the ground and shifting her weight more onto Shego’s upper body. Shego immediately stopped struggling, caught off guard by the determined look on Kim’s face and the weight of her body on top of her. It felt good, it felt right. Kim looked down into Shego’s face and her mind went blank. There was a surprised expression staring back up at her instead of the usual smug smirk that Shego gave her whenever they pinned each other during a fight. It was almost...vulnerable, and Kim had no idea what to make of that. It made something stir in the pit of her stomach and suddenly she was very aware of her position straddling Shego. Shego seemed to become aware of their position around the same time and took a split second to wink seductively at Kim before tossing her off. Kim landed on her feet and watched Shego hop up, brushing grass off of herself.  
“Shego, I...uh” Kim began, unsure of what she was about to say.

“Well Princess, it seems like you’re in better shape than I gave you credit for. We’ll call this your win tonight, but next time you won’t get so lucky,” Shego said. Kim still stared at her with wide eyes like a deer in headlights. “You okay there Kimmie? I thought I was the only one who hit their head,” Shego teased, her voice laced with genuine concern.

“I’m-I’m fine, sorry. Just surprised, that’s all,” Kim said, relaxing her stance a little.

“Hey, there is a first time for everything. I would be shocked too if I were you, just don’t let the win go to your head,” Shego remarked.

“Yeah, wait, no. Of course I kicked your ass, I’ve been training to fight against you for years!” Kim protested. My surprise has absolutely nothing to do with beating you, but everything to do with straddling you, Kim thought, trying to keep the blush off of her cheeks. 

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess,” Shego said cockily. Her self confidence had always amazed Kim.

“Is your head alright? I didn’t think you would hit the ground so hard,” Kim asked. Shego gave her a weird look and then shrugged.

“It’s fine, my plasma glow does wonders when it comes to healing. Small things like that vanish almost before I feel them. Broken bones take a little longer, but nowhere near as long as a regular person would take,” Shego explained. Kim had never really learned a lot about what Shego’s plasma glow really could do, so this was news to her. She had known it made Shego stronger, more resilient, than a normal person was, and that she could control the incredibly hot green plasma that she manifested, but otherwise it was a bit of a mystery.  
“Do your brothers heal faster too?” Kim asked, regretting it immediately as Shego shot her a sour expression.

“Yes, they do. Basic magic comet powers or something,” Shego said dismissively.

“Can you use your powers to heal other people?” Kim asked.

“Probably, but why would I do that? People are the worst,” Shego said. She expected Kim to argue with her, but instead the girl just nodded. Shego went and grabbed her shoes, Kim did the same. They met back up at the edge of the field.

“I must admit Princess, that’s the most fun I’ve had in months. Glad to see you haven’t slipped in your training and gone soft without me there to beat you every week,” Shego said and Kim beamed at the compliment.

“Likewise Shego, you’re the only person who has ever made me want to train more and get better. And, if I’m being honest, that was the most fun I’ve had in a while too,” Kim admitted, her mind automatically recalling how it had felt to straddle Shego in the damp grass under a sky full of twinkling stars. How had she never noticed before how it really felt to have their bodies pressed so close together? Maybe because every other time she had been thrown off much faster in the midst of battle.

“Next week I won’t let you win so easily, but I will concede that drinks are on me,” Shego said, tossing her leather jacket over her muscular shoulders. “Goodnight Princess,” Shego said with a wave, disappearing into the night. 

“Goodnight Shego,” Kim replied quietly. She knew she would have to think about this entire night and every implication it had held eventually, but for the moment, Kim Possible simply walked the couple of blocks back to her apartment, enjoying the lingering smell of Eucalyptus and mint that Shego had left on her clothes. 

Back at her apartment, Kim closed and locked the door behind herself. She could still feel a bit of a buzz from the alcohol in her system, so she made her way to the refrigerator and pulled out a slice of cold leftover pizza and a bottle of gatorade. After she finished her pizza and half the gatorade, Kim stripped and hopped into her shower. The hot water helped loosen the knotted muscles in her back and shoulders. She knew she would probably be sore the next morning, despite being in good shape. Fighting Shego was a challenge that she would gladly accept no matter what the next day felt like. 

Kim was glad it was the weekend at least, she could go train at the gym all morning the next day without having to worry about her work study job in the library. Maybe a mission would pop up, maybe not. Kim went to bed that night already looking forward to next Friday night, something she hadn’t done in months. She thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep, thinking about how odd her night had been, but instead as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out. Dreaming of twinkling stars and green eyes.


	3. How Did We End Up Here Again?

“God, it felt like this week would never end,” Kim said, taking a gulp of the drink Shego had ordered for her. They had met up at the same bar as before, but taken a booth in one of the corners this time. Shego was wearing a similar outfit to the last time Kim saw her, except her green top was now replaced with a faded band tee and her long, dark hair was pulled back into a messy bun on top of her head. Her black skinny jeans had a few rips, showing glimpses of her pale green skin every time she shifted positions. Kim couldn’t help but admire how absolutely hot and gay she looked in her casual clothes. Kim herself had gone for a similar outfit, grey skinny jeans, a pink top and a denim jacket. She had even remembered to roll up the cuffs of the jeans like Monique had told her to. 

Monique had been surprised to get a call from Kim the Saturday before only to hear that she had an encounter with Shego that was much more friendly than normal. She had told Kim to be careful, but Kim had seemed convinced that Shego didn’t actually mean her any harm. They were just going to spar some, since the hero and villain business was a little slow lately. Monique was still a little apprehensive about it, but she figured if anyone could protect themself against Shego, it would be Kim.

“Long week?” Shego asked, picking up her own drink.

“It really was. My classes are over until summer session starts in a few weeks, but somehow I still have so many books to read and paperwork to do, not to mention my job and missions,” Kim said with a sigh. Shego smirked at her.

“You do it to yourself, you know. You could take a break Princess,” Shego replied. She watched Kim take another sip of her drink and admired how her clothes fit her body. Her beautiful hair reflected the last rays from the sunset that came through the window across from them and Shego wanted so badly to reach out and touch her. She looked so soft, though Shego knew she was tougher than anyone she had ever met before. 

“I know, I know, but I don’t think I know how to not be busy all the time. It’s just what I’m used to,” Kim replied.

“Ugh, you’re a disgusting overachiever,” Shego said.

“Thanks,” Kim said.

“It wasn’t a compliment. Hard work is overrated. Why do you think I’ve worked for Drakken for so long?” Shego asked. Kim shrugged.

“Cause you like being smarter and stronger than your boss?” Kim asked.

“Well yeah, but mostly because I like being lazy. I’ve got Drakken trained in low expectations. He has henchpeople to do all his regular tasks, leaving me with just the fun stuff, like stealing important parts and fighting you. Otherwise, I have plenty of time on my hands to not do a damn thing,” Shego explained. Kim looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

“You may not like boring work too much, but I know for a fact that you’re a determined woman with good work ethic,” Kim stated decidedly. Shego leaned forward on the table.

“And how do you figure that one, Princess?” She asked.

“Your fighting says it all. Not only are you well trained, you’re constantly changing and getting better moves. You must train a lot and that takes hard work and dedication. I know it sure does for me,” Kim said. Shego opened her mouth to protest, but Kim held up her hand. “And you don’t just rely on your plasma either, you actually fought me hand to hand the other night. I’m sure that takes work too. Did you have to work hard on learning and maintaining control over your plasma powers?” Kim asked. 

“Uh, yeah, I did. Damn Kimmie, how can you just call me out like that? Someone might overhear you and decide to have higher expectations of me. Then where would I be?” Shego asked. 

“I’m surprised no one has done that yet. I would,” Kim said with a grin.

“I guess it’s a damn good thing I don’t work for you then, though it would follow my previous theme of being smarter and stronger than the person I work for,” Shego teased. Kim feigned offense.

“You know, you’re awfully cocky for someone who lost a fight with little old me last week,” Kim said. 

“It’s all part of my charm, Princess” Shego said. 

“Charm, right,” Kim replied. They made small talk for a while, both finishing their first drink and starting on another.

“How is the food here?” Shego asked, looking over a rather simple menu.

“It’s fine for bar food. I like their nacho fries, they remind me a little of Bueno Nacho, but much better,” Kim said, a hint of nostalgia in her voice.

“You really miss the buffoon-er-Ron, don’t you?” Shego asked. Kim caught the slip and appreciated Shego’s correction.

“Yeah, I do. Ron has been my best friend since preschool and it’s hard spending so much time away from him. I knew it was inevitable, what with going to different schools, but it still sucks,” Kim said, feeling a little more emotional over it than usual. It was true, Ron was still her best friend, so why hadn’t she mentioned hanging out with Shego to him when they had talked on the phone the night before? A hint of guilt settled into Kim’s chest. She was just trying to avoid worrying him while he was on his trip, Kim justified to herself.

“I had a friend like that once a long time ago,” Shego said absently. Kim waited with baited breath, hoping Shego would continue. “Her name was Isabella and we met in kindergarten. We used to do everything together,” Shego said thoughtfully. 

“What happened?” Kim whispered, knowing the answer wouldn’t be pleasant.

“After the comet struck, nothing was ever the same again. I was 12 when it hit our treehouse in Go City. I honestly don’t remember a lot from when it struck, I just remember feeling hot and like I had been hooked up to a car battery. Still can taste heavy metals from time to time if I overuse my plasma. I remember waking up in the hospital with my brothers and destroying a good portion of the room before gaining any control. They told me that my parents had died on impact and no one could really explain how we had not only survived, but gained powers,” Shego said. Kim watched her face, noticing the faraway look in Shego’s unfocused eyes. There was something hardened about her expression and Kim felt like right behind it was a very vulnerable woman that was just out of her reach.

“Isabella came to visit me once while we were being kept in the hospital for testing and various prodding. She brought me a bouquet of flowers and apologized. She wouldn’t even look me in the eye. I never saw her again. My brothers and I were deemed far too dangerous to go back to school, which was probably true, so our extended family paid for private tutors and lessons while we were isolated in Go Tower,” Shego said. She shut her mouth, a small wave of panic crashing over her. Why had she just spilled her fucking life story? She was barely one drink in, so she couldn’t blame it on the alcohol. It was Kim. Kim made her feel like sharing the things that she had always kept to herself. Kim was dangerous in how comfortable she made Shego feel. Shego tightened her grip on her glass, trying not to break it, or worse, activate her plasma. Emotions were not her favorite thing to deal with. She was surprised when she felt soft fingers against her own, gently rubbing the back of her hand. She looked up into Kim’s eyes, which were filled with sympathy, instead of the pity she expected.

“I’m sorry Shego, I can’t imagine how difficult that would have been to go through,” Kim said. Her voice and her concern were far too genuine for Shego to handle at the moment. 

“The past is in the past, Princess. No real need to dwell on it,” Shego said, pulling her hand back and out of Kim’s grasp. “Let’s order some food.” Shego signaled to their waitress, who came over and took their order. Kim was quiet, thinking about everything she had just learned about Shego. Not only had she lost her parents and her friends all at once, she had then struck out on her own from her brothers, who were all that she had left in the world. There was a lot to Shego that Kim had not known, but it did explain some of her sense of humor and aloofness. Kim understood just a little bit more about why Shego was who she was now.

Shego was still trying to get herself back under control. Even Drakken barely knew anything about Shego’s past and here she was, spilling her guts to her arch nemesis all because of a stupid crush. That’s all it was. She admired Kimmie, she was strong and beautiful, who wouldn’t admire her? Shego had always admired Kimmie and enjoyed flirting with the girl just enough to freak her out a little. It never meant anything. It was just a game, until it wasn’t. Until Kimmie had told Shego she hated her. Until the night that Shego had almost died.   
That night had changed things between them and Shego had vowed she would never allow Kimmie to get hurt like that again. She didn’t like seeing her like that, even if a super-powered Kimmie made her heart flutter differently. That had hurt in more ways than just the physical pain she had experienced. Shego realized that she didn’t want Kimmie to hate her. And now she was realizing that she wanted more than just the absence of hate from Kim Possible. She wanted so much more. She had just wanted to give Kim a little push into figuring things out and now she wanted to give Kim a little push into herself. Fuck me, Shego thought. 

A few minutes later their food arrived and they ate in relative silence, each thinking about the other. Shego already knew how Kim had become the save-the-world girl that she was thanks to an odd trip through time they had taken, but she didn’t know how Kim had learned to fight like she did.

“So, what’s your story Princess?” Shego asked, taking a nacho fry from Kim’s plate and popping it in her mouth. She had already finished her salad and couldn’t resist the greasy, salty smell of the fries.

“You already know how I got started in the hero business,” Kim replied, playfully swatting Shego’s hand away from her plate.

“Yeah, but you can’t tell me that all your training just came from middle school gymnastics classes,” Shego said.

“That’s fair, it didn’t. It was actually my Nana who trained me,” Kim said.

“Your Nana?” Shego asked. Kim nodded.

“Yep. Nana Possible. She lives in Florida. When I was a kid my mom would send me to stay with her for a month every summer. I’m not sure where she learned it, but she is an amazing martial artist. She trained me hard every summer, in between baking lemon squares and trips to the pool. It was really fun and I took to it a lot better than I took to the baking. I had no idea it would come in handy one day. That, along with the gymnastics and cheerleading, are my secret to kicking evil ass,” Kim said proudly.

“You’re precious, oh my god. So tooth-achingly wholesome. I can’t believe all your badass fighting skills come from your Nana,” Shego said with a laugh. “No wonder you’re such a goody-goody.” 

“Hey! I’m not that perfect!” Kim protested. Shego raised an eyebrow at Kim in disbelief. 

“Oh yeah? Prove it. What have you done that wasn’t for some greater good bullshit?” Shego asked.

“I was late to class a lot,” Kim tried. Shego shook her head.

“Yeah, but only because you were out saving the fucking world. It didn’t even affect your grades, if I recall correctly,” Shego pointed out.

“Wait, you saw my grades?” Kim asked.

“Doy, I was your teacher for a brief and horrible stint. It was kind of my job to know your grades and how you were doing in your classes,” Shego replied with an exaggerated shudder.

“I guess that’s true,” Kim conceded. She thought for a few more minutes while they finished up the last of their food and Shego ordered another set of drinks. Kim thought about all the things she had done, trying to pick out one thing that really wasn’t for anyone’s good. Her mind drifted through years of arguing with Bonnie and the white lies she had told various people until she settled on an event that brought up a lot of mixed emotions. It was the time she had almost killed Shego, kicking her into an electrical tower and sending her to jail for a few months. Kim shook her head. Maybe I shouldn’t bring that up in casual conversation with my plasma charged arch nemesis in a bar that I don’t want destroyed, Kim thought. What else could she come up with?

“I got it!” Kim exclaimed. Shego looked at her flatly.

“Okay Princess, what’cha got?” Shego asked, wondering what Kim could have possibly come up with.

“When I was a freshman I lied about my age to get into an off-campus party. It was the first time I tried alcohol,” Kim said proudly. Shego stared at her for a moment, waiting for the punchline.

“Kimmie, that’s barely anything. Did you even get drunk, or just try a hard lemonade and think you were cool?” Shego asked. 

“...They were wine coolers, and I didn’t even finish one,” Kim said shamefully.

“Yeah, no, we can’t count that. That’s literally nothing. You did literally nothing wrong except maybe waste a shitty wine cooler,” Shego decided.

“Fine, if that doesn’t count then how about this: I’m hanging out with you, aren’t I?” Kim pointed out. “You’re not exactly an angel,” Kim said.

“That’s true, but a case could be made that it would be for the greater good if you hung out with me with the intent of rubbing some of your goody-goodness off on me,” Shego replied. Kim rolled her eyes and sighed.

“So, is any of my goodness rubbing off on you?” Kim asked.

“No, but it’s cute that you thought it could,” Shego replied.

“Ugh, you’re so difficult,” Kim complained, but her tone was teasing and Shego grinned back at her.

“Hey, an arch nemesis isn’t supposed to be easy to hang out with, right?” Shego replied.

“I guess, but I am having a nice time getting to know you a little better,” Kim said. Her honesty surprised Shego, who bit her lip to keep from saying something equally as gross and honest.

“Yeah, uh, I guess it isn’t the worst use of my time,” Shego said. Kim rolled her eyes, but still smiled warmly. They talked until they had both finished their third drink and the sky outside had grown dark.

“Are you up for getting your ass handed to you again tonight?” Kim asked with a cheeky grin as Shego paid their bill.

“Not a chance of that happening, Princess. You just got lucky last time. This time, your ass is mine,” Shego replied. And what a cute ass it is, Shego thought, following Kim out the door. Back at the empty athletic field they faced each other. Kim had stripped down to her shirt and pants, Shego having done the same. Shego was determined not to let Kim get the upper hand this time. She had paid close attention to Kim’s moves the last time they fought and now she felt more prepared for what was coming. Kim was determined not to end up in such an awkward position this time. She had certainly enjoyed stradling Shego and the look that Shego had given her sent shivers down her spine even now, but it was wrong on so many levels. She was here to fight Shego, nothing else.

Kim charged first and they exchanged blows, neither able to land anything of consequence on the other. They danced back and forth, kicking and flipping this way and that. Kim was thankful that classes were out at the moment, or someone might have been a little freaked out to stumble across the two of them attacking each other with everything they had. Kim found herself losing ground after a solid 15 minutes of fighting. Shego hadn’t been all talk this time and Kim was starting to get a little worried. Shego still didn’t light her plasma, pushing Kim back with her fighting skills alone. Kim was worried, but Shego’s movements were mesmerizing. Her entire body was toned and ready for fighting. The way her moves flowed so well from one to another left Kim struggling to keep her composure. The concentrative smirk on Shego’s lips made Kim’s head spin even more.

All it took was one block put up too slowly and suddenly Kim lost her balance entirely. Shego didn’t miss a beat, jumping toward Kim to take advantage of her 3 second lapse in form. Kim squeaked as she fell backwards, Shego’s weight forcing her down into the grass. It was far from the first time Shego had pinned her during a fight and probably far from the last time, Kim reasoned. Nevertheless, this time felt different. Kim could feel every spot that their bodies touched because her skin felt like it was on fire. She momentarily wondered if Shego had lit up her plasma and really was burning Kim through her clothes. A quick glance at Shego’s hands told her that it was just her own overactive nerve endings that were to blame. That’s way worse than third degree burns, Kim thought.

“We’ve got to stop meeting like this, Princess,” Shego said, a mischievous smile parting her black lips. She held Kim’s wrists much like Kim had done the week before, feeling her soft skin under her fingertips. Shego’s muscles were tense, waiting for Kim to throw her off, but then she noticed the heat that had risen in Kim’s face and how her eyes kept flicking down to look at Shego’s lips. Shego didn’t want to move. Oh Kimmie, she thought, you really aren’t straight, are you? Shego couldn’t help herself, she bent even closer until her face was only inches away from Kim’s, feeling the fluttering in the pit of her own stomach increase. Shego wasn’t sure what she was doing and suddenly she was flying through the air. Kim’s kick to her sternum had been a shock, but Shego still landed gracefully, watching Kim flip to her own feet as well. When Kim turned to face her there was panic in her eyes and Shego winced at something that looked like anger. Kim wasn’t normally angry at her, even when they fought for real. Had she pushed too far?

“What the hell was that, Shego?” Kim shouted. Yep, definitely anger, Shego thought. She relaxed her stance and ran a hand through her long, black hair. In the summer humidity it had started to curl slightly into waves instead of her normal straight hair. 

“That was me winning, I do believe,” Shego replied, unsure if she should address what Kim’s question was really asking. Kim glared at her a moment longer. It was just enough time for Shego to actually start to worry that she had ruined whatever this was between Kim and herself before it had even begun. Then Kim relaxed a little, the glare fading from her face.

“Fine, I guess you got me,” Kim said finally. It’s probably for the best that Shego didn’t catch what I was really asking. I’m not ready for an answer to that, Kim thought.

“I told you I wasn’t going to let you win again, though you didn’t make it easy for me,” Shego said.

“Yeah, well, your moves were really good tonight. I guess drinks are on me next Friday,” Kim said. A crack of thunder interrupted their conversation and Kim looked up to see that the sky had clouded over during their fight. A cool wind brushed across her face, blowing her hair in the wind. It smelled like a thunderstorm was coming and the building energy in the air reminded Kim of Shego somehow. 

“Princess, we might want to head back before this storm hits,” Shego said. Kim turned to her with a smile.

“What? Scared of a little bit of rain and wind?” Kim asked.

“No, but the lightning is not my favorite,” Shego replied flatly. They both immediately had the same thought, remembering the night Kim had kicked Shego into the electrical tower. Kim lowered her gaze and Shego shivered just slightly, despite how warm it was. “Besides, unlike me, you don’t have plasma powers to keep your body warm and dry in the rain. If you get pneumonia, it would put a damper on our little sparring sessions,” Shego added.

“Aw, are you worried about me?” Kim teased, nudging Shego with her elbow.

“Never in my life, Cupcake,” Shego replied cockily.

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Kim replied. She momentarily wished that she had a nickname for Shego to tack onto the end of her sentence, but what on earth would it be? Glowstick? She would have to think about that later. Shego tossed Kim her discarded shoes and jacket, electing not to bother putting her own jacket on. It was still warm, even with the breeze from the incoming storm and there was a slick sheen of sweat on her skin from their match. It may have looked effortless to Kim, but Shego had worked hard to stay even one move ahead of her arch nemesis.

“Do you drive here?” Kim asked as they walked back into the town. Kim tried to walk everywhere that she could, even though the sloth was parked under her apartment building just waiting to be driven. On nights when she went to the bar, she always walked. It was just safer that way. Campus was well lit at night and Kim felt like she could take just about anyone who tried to sneak up on her.

“How else would I get here? Hovercraft? Again, not on the clock. All I’ve got is my motorcycle when I’m not playing with Dr. D,” Shego replied. Motorcycle, of course, she has a motorcycle, Kim thought, trying not to picture it.

“That seems very you,” Kim said.

“Thanks?” Shego said. Kim just laughed. They parted ways a moment later and Kim barely made it back to her apartment before the rain hit. She sat for a while by her kitchen window, watching the torrential downpour and hoping that Shego had made it out of town without getting soaked. The thunder usually comforted Kim, but tonight she watched the lightning split the sky and worried about Shego.

Shego almost made it out of town before the storm hit. Almost. Even driving way above the speed limit, she still managed to get rained on enough to soak her down to her underclothes. When she made it back to her house, she parked her bike and lit her plasma glow up. It only took a second or two for it to warm her body up and dry out her clothes enough. She dried her bike off with a towel and stowed it in her rather roomy garage/basement before heading into the main house. 

Shego loved her house, she had designed it and had it built just how she wanted. It was miles from any other buildings, tucked away into the side of a mountain surrounded by dense forests. Much of the external walls were glass on which she could control the tint. A few of the internal walls were just the mountainside, polished and carved to fit the house. It was 4 stories in all with a garage and basement underneath that she had mostly turned into a personal gym. Her bedroom was on the very top floor, just above the treeline. Most of her decor was minimalist, a few paintings here and a potted plant there. The dark wood flooring contrasted well with the black, grey and white walls. The only room with a colored wall was her bedroom, where her king sized bed was pushed up against a forest green accent wall. 

After stripping out of her clothes and tossing them into the bin in her laundry room, Shego headed for the brushed steel refrigerator, grabbing a bag of green grapes as a snack. She didn’t like the red ones, they were too squishy and sweet. She popped a few in her mouth as she headed upstairs to take a hot shower. After her shower, she settled into her bed, turning some mindless television on in the background as she replayed her evening with Kim over and over again in her head.

What exactly had she thought she was doing when she pinned Kim? What would she have done if Kim hadn’t kicked her off? Shego really didn’t know. Pinning each other like that was commonplace in their normal fights, right? So what made it feel so...electric the last two times? That evening the previous week had truly been a coincidence, but this week had been a choice. That worried Shego a little. She enjoyed fighting Kim and teasing Kim, she always had, but now she was just enjoying being around Kim, and that felt dangerous. That made her feel like she was walking along the edge of something that she wasn’t really ready to fall into yet. What did she want to happen? Now there's a dangerous thought, Shego thought as she drifted off to sleep that night.


	4. Where The Heck Is She?

Kim awoke Friday morning with a pounding headache. She cracked an eye open and instantly regretted it. The early morning light coming through her blinds made her eyes burn and she hissed, quickly leading herself into a coughing fit. Her throat ached as she tried to take a sip from the glass of water on her night stand. The night before she had been feeling a little more tired than usual, but had chalked it up to work being busy that week. The fact that she could barely breathe through her nose told her it wasn’t just exhaustion. She grabbed her phone and texted her friend Alice, whom she was supposed to meet at the gym that morning. Then she promptly fell back asleep until almost noon, when she woke up in desperate need of a shower and something to snack on.

Kim tried to get up and get something, anything, done, to no avail. She only ended up back in bed, exhausted just by taking a shower. She kept shivering, even though her skin felt hot to the touch. It was miserable, and it was only made more miserable because she realized that she had no way of contacting Shego to let her know that she wouldn’t be at the bar that night. She could only imagine Shego showing up and then getting pissed because Kim stood her up. She shot Wade a message, but he didn’t have any recent contact information on Shego that would be any help, just some info on Drakken’s recent lairs.

“Thanks Wade, but it’s the weekend, so she won’t be there,” Kim said in her horribly stuffed up voice.

“Kim, why are you trying to get in contact with Shego anyway? Is your fever high enough to make you insane? And do you need me to send you any meds or soup or something? You sound like death,” Wade replied.

“Uh, just had a question for her about some martial arts thing, that’s all,” Kim supplied. She told herself that if she didn’t have a fever she could have come up with a better excuse. That wasn’t true at all, but it made her feel a little better. “And thanks for offering Wade, Ron said the same thing when I talked to him a little while ago. I’m fine though, I’ve got cold meds and food, all I really need is rest.”

“Okay, you let me know if you do need anything. And I’ll let you know if I find any more info on Shego,” Wade said, not really buying her excuse. He wasn’t sure what to make of it really, Kim thanked him and went back to wallowing in her bed and feeling like garbage.

For once, Kim was glad she hadn’t signed up for any missions that weekend. She had hoped to be feeling at least a little better on Saturday, and had even forced herself to get out of bed, only to end up curled up on the couch in a pile of blankets and tissues watching shitty romcoms and drinking ginger ale. Her fever was lower, but her head was still so stuffy that her voice came out sounding like a child’s. She had never found a way to contact Shego and was still feeling bad about it when there was a knock on her door. Who the heck could that be? Ron and Mo aren’t even in the state right now! Kim thought, dragging herself to the door. Kim opened the door to her apartment and was surprised to see Shego standing there.

She looked vaguely annoyed, a frown turning down the corners of her black lips and her eyebrows pinched in the middle of her forehead. Her hair was down today, brushing at her waist in loose waves. She was wearing jean shorts and a tank top that showed off her toned arms and shoulders nicely. There was a sun hat perched atop her head and Kim noticed a pair of sunglasses in her hand. Kim suddenly felt self-conscious about how much of a mess she was in her worn out pajamas with her hair pulled back in a messy bun, and not the cute kind of messy bun.

“Uh…” Kim said, but Shego ignored her and walked in like she owned the place. She glanced around the apartment, noticing the tasteful yet simple decor. The apartment itself was painted lilac with white trim and Shego noticed a number of photos on the walls of Kim and her friends and family. She had a big leather couch and there were two potted orchids sitting on her kitchen table. It was surprisingly clean for a college student, Shego thought. “Welcome to my apartment, I guess,” Kim said, from behind her.

“Thanks Princess,” Shego replied, looking Kim up and down.

“What are you doing here?” Kim blurted out. Shego narrowed her eyes at Kim.

“Okay, first off, rude. And to answer your question, you stood me up last night,” Shego said, avoiding Kim’s eyes.

“Yeah, sorry, I guess I should have gotten your number or something. I’m not feeling very well,” Kim said. As if on cue she started coughing. Shego made a face.

“So I can see. I warned you about getting caught in thunderstorms, didn’t I?” Shego admonished. 

“I swear I didn’t. In fact, I was worried that you had last Friday night,” Kim said.

“I told you, my glow keeps me warm and dry for the most part,” Shego replied.

“That’s not a no, you got stormed on, didn’t you,” Kim said. Shego just shrugged.

“Princess, you’re the one with the plague, not me,” Shego pointed out.

“It’s just a cold, I think. One of my coworkers was sick earlier in the week, she probably gave it to me,” Kim said with a sniffle.

“Gross,” Shego said.

“How did you even find my apartment?” Kim asked. Shego scoffed.

“Really Kimmie? I’m the world’s greatest thief, give me some credit,” Shego replied. Kim looked at her skeptically. “Aaaand, this isn’t a very big college town and I saw the name of the complex on your keychain last week,” Shego explained.

“World’s greatest thief, huh?” Kim teased. 

“Oh can it,” Shego replied. They stood in awkward silence for a moment, just looking at each other. Kim wasn’t sure what to do. Should she invite Shego to stay for a bit? That seemed like a bad plan since she was sick, but on the other hand she felt better just from having seen Shego. 

Shego was having a similar discussion in her own head. It had taken her all morning to work up the guts to come and check on Kim. The night before she had waited at the bar for over an hour, looking up every time someone came through the door. Every time she had turned back to her drink, disappointed. By the end of the hour she started to worry. What if something had happened to Kim? But this was Kim, anything was possible for Kim. That led her to conclude that Kim had just ditched her. Shego had then downed her drink angrily and left. Her long ride home had given her time to burn off a little anger and she had realized that Kim wouldn’t just ditch her. Kim was too good to even ditch her arch nemesis, which led her back to worrying about Kim. She had been relieved when Kim had answered her door in one piece, but now she wasn’t sure what to do. Well, I’m already here, might as well stick around for a few minutes, Shego thought, making up her mind.

“So, what have you been up to?” Shego asked, leaning against the back of the couch. “Other than wallowing in your own misery?”

“Excuse you, I don’t wallow. I’ve just been resting and watching shitty movies. Super exciting stuff,” Kim said. 

“Sounds thrilling,” Shego said. Before Kim could respond, Shego hopped over the back of the couch, making herself comfortable on the side of the couch that Kim didn’t use. “So, what’re we watching next? It better not be one of those god-awful rom coms where the guy treats the girl like shit and she thinks it’s cause he is complicated and deep, but he is really just a shallow jerk. Those are terrible. I mean, who wants to date someone that they have to mother? Ew!” Shego ranted. Kim stared at her for a second, before walking around to sit on her side of the couch in her bundle of blankets. Shego had grabbed Kim’s DVD collection off of the table and was already thumbing through it. Cute, Kim thought.

“Uh, Shego?” Kim asked. Shego glanced up at her.

“Yes?” Shego asked.

“Not that I’m trying to kick you out or anything, but are you sure you want to hang out with me? I’m probably contagious and I think half of my body is made of snot at this point. I’m not going to be much fun and we definitely won’t be doing any sparring,” Kim said. She didn’t want Shego to leave, but why would she stay?

“Trying to kick me out, huh? Too bad. I came all the way out here to make sure you weren’t dead or something, so now I’m gonna stay for a while and watch something that isn’t terrible before I have to get back home,” Shego said cheekily. Kim smiled. Shego was being nice, even more so than she had been the past few weeks, and Kim decided that she was just going to enjoy it. She was too tired to do anything else anyway. “Besides,” Shego added, “I don’t get sick, at least not often. Another perk of plasma glow.”

“Well, lucky you,” Kim said, blowing her nose. “Ugh, being sick is terrible. I hate feeling so useless,” Kim lamented.

“Chill Kimmie, everyone needs to recuperate, even you,” Shego replied. Eventually she picked a movie that neither of them had ever watched and pressed play. Kim snuggled into her blankets, leaning heavily against the pile of pillows she had accumulated. Shego kicked her shoes off and settled in, enjoying how relaxing it felt just to sit with Kim on her couch. She did feel a little bad for Kim every time she heard her stifle a cough and wondered if there was anything she could do to help. 

“This movie is terrible,” Shego said flatly. Kim giggled.

“For once I can’t argue with you. I mean, they’re so incompatible it isn’t even funny! He just wants to change everything about her so she fits his lifestyle and she is letting him! It’s like they didn’t even write a character for her, she is just there to be his accessory,” Kim complained.

“And you know they’re going to end up together at the end after he makes some lame promise to change a single slightly irritating thing about himself while she up-ends her entire life for him,” Shego added. 

“I can’t believe the lengths she is going to just so he can feel like the hero,” Kim said.

“Guys love to feel like they’re rescuing a girl,” Shego said with a frown.

“Maybe that’s my problem, guys like damsels in distress, and that is so not me,” Kim lamented. Or maybe you just like girls, her brain interjected, but Kim wasn’t quite ready to go there yet. 

“That’s just bullshit,” Shego declared. Kim raised an eyebrow at her. “What? You know that’s bullshit. You’re strong and can take care of yourself, that’s much more attractive. Even if a few guys are intimidated by you, that’s no problem. You don’t want to date someone who gets butthurt over you not being helpless. That’s just stupid,” Shego concluded.

“You think so?” Kim asked, not missing the way Shego had complimented her somewhere in there.

“Doy. Even Ron was smarter than that, and there was literally no way he would ever be stronger than you are,” Shego said.

“He did rescue me a few times though. Ron was more helpful than you give him credit for,” Kim defended. Shego rolled her eyes.

“Look, I wasn’t saying he was totally useless. Sometimes he lucked his way into something useful, but more often than not he was a liability. At least he knew not to hold it against you. Did you ever hold it against him for being more of a damsel in distress than you ever were?” Shego asked.

“I don’t guess so. I did get frustrated sometimes when he screwed up plans, though he always came through in the end,” Kim paused to blow her nose and nibble on a few saltines. She offered them to Shego, who shook her head.

“I’ll pass on your germy little crackers. I guess I should have brought you some real food,” Shego said.

“I have some soup in the fridge, I’m just not feeling it right now,” Kim said, sipping her ginger ale. She liked talking with Shego, even if it made her throat hurt even more.

“If you say so Princess. Wanna try a different movie?” Shego asked.

“Sure,” Kim agreed. The next movie wasn’t much better than the first one had been and Kim’s attention began to drift a little bit. Later afternoon usually meant a spike in her fever. Kim shivered, barely noticing it, but she did notice when Shego reached over and pulled the blanket up around her shoulders. She tried to sneak a peek at Shego’s face, but saw that her eyes were still glued to the television. Kim could practically feel the heat coming from Shego’s body sitting merely a foot away from her own. She went back and forth, debating on whether she should try to discreetly scoot closer to Shego or just continue to shiver and save herself the embarrassment. 

Shego watched Kim out of the corner of her eye, noticing how she shivered even now bundled up in the blanket and her long sleeved pajamas. Her face was flushed from her fever and every few minutes she would cough. Kim hadn’t complained though, and Shego knew she must not feel very good at all. Kim kept glancing over at her as if she couldn’t quite decide on something. Shego watched Kim shiver again and sighed, scooting over on the couch until she was right next to the bundle of blankets that was Kim. Kim looked at her with wide eyes for a moment.

“What? You’re over here shivering like a pitiful little creature and my body constantly produces heat,” Shego said defensively. Kim cautiously snuggled closer to Shego, keeping at least one layer of blanket between them at all times. She could immediately feel the heat from Shego’s body seeping into her own and felt some of her muscles relax. It was so cozy she almost drifted off to sleep while they finished the movie. 

“Don’t go falling asleep on me Princess, do I look like a pillow?” Shego asked, startling Kim, who had closed her eyes for just a moment. 

“Sorry, my eyes just started to hurt from the tv screen,” Kim mumbled. She went to move from her position, slightly curled into Shego’s side, but Shego’s arm stopped her.

“It’s fine, I know you’re not feeling good. I guess I’ll allow it just this one time, but don’t get used to it!” Shego said, gently pushing Kim back against herself. Kim didn’t fight it. Shego was warm and oddly comforting for being her arch nemesis. She was definitely breaking some code of ethics, but fuck it, she felt like shit and this was the only thing making it better. She could break the rules just this one time. Kim had her head against the back of the couch, right next to Shego’s shoulder. Shego’s arm was stretched across the back of the couch and Kim watched her long, thin fingers fiddle with an errant thread. Outside the sun was sinking in the sky. 

“Where do you live, Shego?” Kim asked, remembering how Shego had mentioned the not so short trip there.

“None of your business,” Shego snapped, but it was playful. Kim rolled her eyes.

“Fine, what’s your house like then?” Kim asked again.

“What do you think it’s like?” Shego responded.

“Ugh, why can’t you just give me a straight answer?” Kim asked. Because that is one thing I certainly am not, Shego thought.

“Just tell me what you think my house would be like and then I’ll tell you if you’re right or wrong. My moneys on wrong,” Shego said.

“Okay, uhmm, I bet it’s like some creepy haunted mansion with lots of green and black everywhere and booby traps around every corner. Maybe it’s like a cave, with raw rock walls that are always dripping for no real reason,” Kim said.

“I don’t live in a lair, Kimmie, I live in a house. The only part that you got even slightly right was that there actually are a few raw rock walls, but they aren’t just dripping for no reason. You’re such a weirdo,” Shego said.

“Huh, I guess I’ve only ever seen you in Drakken’s lairs. Hard to imagine you in, like, a regular suburban house,” Kim mused. Shego shuddered.

“Gross, how dare you say something like that about me? The suburbs? Please, if I ever even consider getting a house in the suburbs with neighbors that I can see, just put me out of my misery asap,” Shego said dramatically.

“Hmm, so you can’t see your neighbors from your house? Good to know,” Kim said with a small grin. Shego stared at her and then smiled too.

“Not bad Princess, but that’s all you’re going to get out of me,” Shego said.

“We’ll see about that,” Kim replied. They talked a little bit more about nothing really and then sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes.

“Hey Shego, what’s prison like?” Kim asked.

“What the hell kind of question is that Kimmie?” Shego asked, eyeing Kim suspiciously. She shrugged. 

“I don’t know, I was just wondering what it was like. I’ve sent a lot of villains to prison, but it’s not like I’ve ever been myself,” kim rambled. She half expected Shego to yell at her, but she didn’t.

“It’s not exactly the best vacation, if you ask me. I’m sure every villain has a different negative experience with prison. I can’t say I enjoy it in the least. Everyone is always telling you what to do,” Shego grouched. Kim chuckled, surprised Shego had actually answered her.

“I can’t really imagine that working out for them. You don’t really seem like the following orders type of person,” Kim remarked, hoping to get a laugh out of Shego. Instead, Shego’s eyes narrowed.

“It used to be like that. It was even kind of fun fucking with them for a few days. But then they figured out that a good electrical shock to my system completely shuts down my ability to use my plasma glow. Now, the first thing they do if I’m brought in is shock me senseless and snap a shock collar on me,” Shego said bitterly. Kim swallowed hard, trying not to imagine what it was like for Shego to go through all of that.

“When did they…?” Kim trailed off, knowing the answer before she even finished the question.

“After the electrical tower incident,” Shego said. Kim noticed how white Shego’s knuckles were and the very faint glow that came from her hands.

“I, uh, I’m really sorry Shego. That sounds horrible and I can’t imagine how painful that must be. I never meant for that to happen to you…” Kim said sadly. Shego sighed heavily.

“Look Kimmie, I don’t really want to get into this right now, okay? We have both hurt each other in the past. Just call it a hazard of the job and move on,” Shego said bluntly, but Kim could tell it bothered her much more than that. It bothered Kim too, it always had. 

“Shego, hey, look at me,” Kim said, shifting back so she was sitting up next to Shego.. After a moment Shego glanced over at Kim, who was struck by how much raw emotion was visible in her bright green eyes. “Shego, I’m sorry for what happened that night at the electrical tower and the repercussions from it. I lost control that night and I’ve regretted what happened for years. I never imagined the damage I could do and it scared me,” Kim admitted quietly.

“I was a little scared too,” Shego whispered. “I thought you would hate me forever. And when you kicked me into that electrical tower, I thought I might actually die.” Kim nodded.

“I never hated you Shego, I was just hurt. I felt like you had betrayed me. I expect Drakken to betray me, but for some reason it hurt more to think that you had toyed with me like that. Of course, I know now that you didn’t know what Drakken was up to beforehand,” Kim said. “Not that it justifies how I treated you that night. I shouldn’t have let my emotions make me so reckless.”

“You sure you don’t hate me? I’ve kicked your butt a lot over the years,” Shego asked. Kim could tell it was meant as a joke, but beneath it there was an honest question based on some insecurity Shego would never openly admit to.

“I would have to think about you to hate you,” Kim teased. Shego rolled her eyes, but the smile on her lips looked relieved. They were quiet for another moment.

“Did you enjoy it?” Shego asked.

“I did enjoy the power trip at the time. It made me feel in control after what Drakken had done. But as soon as the adrenaline wore off, I was horrified. That’s not who I am and I’ll never forget it,” Kim vowed.

“Good, another shock like that probably would kill me,” Shego remarked.

“Even if I did want to hurt you, there really isn’t anything I could do at the moment. Just sitting up is taking all my energy,” Kim said, slumping back into the couch a little. She missed the warmth of being so close to Shego. 

“Princess, I think your fever is going up. You should actually go to bed and get some rest,” Shego said, putting a hand on Kim’s forehead to confirm her suspicions. Kim melted into the touch just slightly. She wasn’t the cuddliest person, but when she was sick all she wanted to do was curl up on someone, preferably someone she was fond of.

“You may be right, even your hand feels kind of cool right now,” Kim said.

“Yeah, that’s not a good sign. Here,” Shego pulled her hand away and grabbed the bottle of ibuprofen that was sitting on the coffee table. She emptied two tablets into her hand and offered them to Kim. “This’ll help with your fever.” Kim took the pills with a swallow of ginger ale. Then she laid her head back against the couch, her eyelids felt awfully heavy. Shego watched her, noticing how her breathing evened out after a few minutes and her head began to loll to the side a little. 

“Oh Kimmie, since when do you trust me this much to just fall asleep next to me on the couch?” Shego asked. And since when am I unwilling to break that trust? Shego thought to herself. She watched Kim doze for a moment. Even in her sleep, Kim shivered. Shego rolled her eyes. She carefully reached around Kim’s shoulders and pulled her close. Her head ended up tucked into Shego’s shoulder, their bodies pressed together. Shego concentrated on keeping herself as still as she could, trying to make sure Kim got the rest she needed. The feeling of having Kim snuggled into her side was something Shego hadn’t felt in a long time. It was cozy and she was content to just sit there holding Kim for as long as she could.

Shego realized after a few minutes that she hadn’t just cuddled anyone in years. Sure, she had flings and one night stands, but there wasn’t very much cuddling involved in those. She usually left as soon as she got what she wanted and her partners were the same way. Shego didn’t date, she didn’t have time for it between her busy work schedule and hating most people she encountered. Kim was different. Kim was always different. 

Nearly an hour later Shego was stirred by Kim’s coughing.

“Uh, Shego?” Kim said. Shego opened her eyes and glanced at the girl who was tucked into her side. Kim looked back at her with wide eyes and a blush across her cheeks.

“Mmm, sorry Princess, looks like we dozed off for a bit. How are you feeling?” Shego asked. She stretched and felt Kim shift a more reasonable distance away from her. I can’t believe I fucking fell asleep, Shego thought, stifling a yawn. I’m totally going soft. Kim sniffled.

“Actually, I think I feel a little better. I’m not shivering anymore and my head isn’t quite as fuzzy,” Kim remarked. She was still a little thrown from waking up with Shego’s arm protectively squishing her into the woman’s warm side. She had tried to stay still and quiet for as long as possible just to stay in the moment a little bit longer. Sadly, her cough had ratted her out and disturbed Shego and herself. Shego shot her a cocky half smile that made Kim’s mouth dry.

“Glad to hear it. Can’t have my arch nemesis being taken out by something as mild as a cold. That would just reflect badly on both of us,” Shego said. Kim rolled her eyes.

“I wasn’t going to die from this, I just felt like shit. Now I feel slightly less like shit,” Kim explained. “Thanks for just hanging out with me. Usually Ron does, but he isn’t back from Japan yet.” Shego glared at Kim. “What?” Kim asked, not sure what she had done to offend her.

“I am not Ron,” Shego stated.

“Well doy, I didn’t say you were Ron, I just said I appreciate that you were here when he couldn’t be. Don’t get your panties in a twist. You’re nothing like Ron,” Kim said.

“And I never will be,” Shego said firmly and then she grinned. “And I’m surprised you care about the state of my panties,” Shego winked. She watched Kim’s face go from shock to indignation and all the way to embarrassed.

“I-I don’t care about your panties! Jeez Shego,” Kim said, shaking her head. Shego shrugged.

“Your loss. It’s getting kind of late. You should probably eat something and get yourself to bed,” Shego said, standing up from the couch. She cracked her neck and knuckles, a little stiff from sitting for so long. Kim yawned and struggled to untangle herself from the blankets. She thought that she was free and went to stand up, realizing her foot was still caught a moment too late. Kim cringed, knowing that it would hurt when she hit the ground, but the impact never came. Instead, she felt very warm, strong hands grab her waist and shoulder, keeping her upright as she untangled her foot.

“Uh, thanks Shego,” Kim said, as Shego helped steady her before releasing her grip.

“And to think you fight like you have perfect reflexes,” Shego remarked. 

“I do! Just not when I’m sick. Doesn’t being sick mess with your reflexes?” Kim asked.

“I don’t get sick,” Shego replied.

“Do too, I know you caught that cold that I got when we fought while I was sick,” Kim said a little triumphantly. 

“Okay, fine, I did get that cold, but I’m still a total badass when I’m sick. Just with more phlegm,” Shego said, crossing her arms.

“Ew, and I doubt it. I bet you’re a big baby when you’re sick,” Kim said with a giggle.

“Uh, no, I think you’re confusing me with a certain blue somebody. I’m green, not blue,” Shego said.

“Somehow it isn’t even a little surprising that Drakken is a baby when he gets sick,” Kim said.

“Dr. D is a baby even when he isn’t sick,” Shego said with a chuckle.

“That’s fair,” Kim said, following Shego to the door. She glanced out her kitchen window and noticed how dark it had gotten. Shego really had spent almost the whole day with her and she had stayed late, despite her drive back to wherever it was she lived. 

“Hey, I’m sorry if I bored you or guilted you into staying here with me today. I feel like this isn’t really your thing, you know, hanging out like this. I really do appreciate that you did stay. It was...nice,” Kim said, avoiding Shego’s gaze.

“Kimmie, you didn’t guilt me into hanging out with you. Sure, you’re really pitiful when you’re sick, but sometimes even I need a day to just chill. I actually didn’t have a terrible time. Obviously, we still need to beat the crap out of each other sometime soon, but this was good too,” Shego said.

“Agreed. I know that as soon as I feel better I’ll be itching for a good fight,” Kim said with a smile.

“Perfect, don’t stand me up again next week. I won’t drop by and play nice if you do,” Shego said.

“Is that a promise or a threat?” Kim asked teasingly.

“Call it both. And we can do better than that dive bar, I want some real food and drinks that can have more than two types of liquor in them,” Shego said.

“Fine miss fancy pants, but I’m not exactly drowning in funds here. I am a college student and most of my missions are pro bono,” Kim said. Shego rolled her eyes, opening up the door.

“Don’t worry about it, my treat. Meet me at Shiki at 6pm. And eat your soup and go to bed, okay?” Shego said curtly.

“See you next Friday Shego,” Kim said with a smile.

“It’s a date,” Shego replied, shutting the door behind herself. A what!? Both girls thought to themselves on opposite sides of Kim’s door. Shego smacked herself in the forehead. Oh god, what did I just say? I probably freaked poor little Kimmie out with that line. I hope she is sick enough that she didn’t catch that slip, I think. She must think it was just a joke or a saying or something, right? A date? No way, not in my wildest dreams… Shego thought sadly. A proper date with Kimmie wasn’t something she could ever have, right? Even if her suspicions about Kim’s sexuality were 100% on the nose, she was still a villain and Kim was a hero. Just this tenuous friendship was already risking a lot for both of them. Shego wouldn’t want to compromise the good in Kim, something she had always admired, even if it was a little annoying. It was one of the things that made Kim who she was. She grumbled all the way to her motorcycle, glad to have something else to concentrate on for the trip home.

On the other side of the door, Kim was still shocked by the slip of tongue. There is no way Shego meant that literally, right? It’s just a thing people say...when they’re flirting! Oh my god, is Shego really flirting with me? She even came over here to check on me when I didn’t show up last night. Then she stayed and watched crappy movies with me. She even cuddled me while I slept!! Am I actually delirious or does she care about me and I...Do I care about her? Kim thought. She made her way back to the couch and sat down in the pile of blankets and pillows. 

“I care about Shego,” Kim whispered aloud to herself. It was true, she did care about Shego, but that wasn’t really new. She had always cared about Shego in some way, it was just how she cared about her. Before, she had respected her fighting skills and admired her. Maybe a few times Kim had even feared Shego’s power, especially when her plasma was in play. Then she had started to care about Shego as a friend in the last few weeks. And now? Now she cared about Shego in a new way. She cared about what Shego was doing in her free time because she wanted to know more about her. She cared about what Shego thought of her. She cared about the way Shego looked at her. She cared about every bit of Shego, and that went far beyond a friendship. 

“I don’t just care about Shego, I have feelings for Shego!” Kim said, unable to deny it any longer. “Oh god I hope I’m sick enough that I don’t remember this in the morning!” Kim wailed, knowing it would be all she thought about for the rest of the night and probably the next day too.


	5. Firefly?

Another full day of rest and Kim was back to her normal self, aside from a lingering cough that faded as the week went on. She was busy with work and even had a few smaller missions during the week to keep her mind off of Shego as much as she could. The closer she got to Friday, the more she began to worry. What if it was a date? Shego hadn’t actually asked her out, or she would have totally said no, even if she did like her a little beyond the limits of friendship. What if Shego did ask me out? Kim thought. She realized that she wouldn’t know what to do if Shego asked her out on a real date. She ran through a dozen scenarios that didn’t make her feel any less panicked. By Friday, Kim couldn’t hold still. 

“Mo, I’m freaking here! You’ve gotta help me!” Kim paced around the room, talking with her hands. She had gotten home from work early and still had a few hours before she had to meet Shego. Monique had just gotten back into town that week, so Kim had invited her over. 

“Woah girl, I see that, but what’s got you so freaked?” Monique asked. She had barely made it in the door before Kim started to pace.

“I don’t know what to wear to this date that isn’t really a date, but I guess sort of is a date with someone that I hate and hates me, but I don’t actually really hate and I’m beginning to think doesn’t actually hate me either. Do I dress nice? I want them to see me looking nice, but what if it turns into a fight? I can’t fight in dress clothes,” Kim said, barely taking a breath. Monique just stared at her for a second, the gears turning in her own mind trying to decipher what the hell Kim was talking about. Then, it clicked.

“KP, are you seeing Shego again?” Monique asked with a knowing smile. She knew that Kim and Shego had been meeting up for a few weeks and sparring, but from what Kim had texted her she hadn’t thought it was anything more than practice time for either of them. Now, that wasn’t feeling like the whole story at all. Kim turned to her with panic in her deep green eyes.

“Maybe,” Kim replied.

“And you’re freaking out, but not because she could kill you. You’re freaking out about what to wear?” Monique clarified. Kim nodded, her cheeks betraying her embarrassment. Monique just shook her head.

“Kim, honey, you’re crushing so hard on this girl! How are you crushing like this on Shego of all people? I mean, sure, she is undeniably hot in a burn your face off sort of way, but isn’t she your evil nemesis or something? And since when are you even into girls? Did I miss something?” Monique asked, trying to think back to Kim ever mentioning having a crush on another girl. She came up empty handed.

“I know, I don’t know, I just...she isn’t really as evil as I thought, you know? She is actually kind of nice and thoughtful on the inside, just a bit tough on the outside. She even came over and checked on me while I was sick. And boys are just so boring compared to her. Even when I have dated a guy, I don’t randomly find myself thinking about them when they’re not around. I can’t stop myself from thinking about Shego randomly. She just makes me feel…” Kim trailed off.

“Feel what?” Monique asked, still processing everything Kim had said.

“Everything, Mo. She makes me feel everything that I’ve been missing. Being around Shego, even when we aren’t fighting, is thrilling. It makes my stomach flutter and my palms sweat, but in a good way. She makes me feel protected but also like I’m in a constant free fall. And you know how much I enjoy a good free fall. Everytime our hands brush or we get close during a match, it feels like an electric shock goes down my spine. Mo, I have never felt any of this before and I don’t want it to stop,” Kim admitted. Monique was silent for a moment.

“Wow, Kim, I had no idea. Why didn’t you say anything sooner? I thought ya’ll were just sparring to let off steam in between missions or something,” Monique said.

“We were. It started out like that, but now…” Kim said.

“Now you’re crushing hard on her. Isn’t she older than you? She taught at Middleton High for like, a week once, right?” Monique asked.

“Yeah, I never knew how old Shego really was. Apparently she graduated early and got her degree faster than usual too. She is only 26. Don’t tell her that I told you,” Kim added.

“Well damn, she really isn’t that much older than we are. That’s freaky, I would’ve said she was older for sure,” Monique said.

“Yeah. So, what do I wear on this not date that might be a date that I don’t want to be a date, but wouldn’t mind if it was a date?” Kim asked.

“Oh girl, we will find you the perfect outfit that says...all that mess you just said,” Monique said, heading for Kim’s closet. A dozen outfit changes later and Kim was as ready as she could be for her not date. She stood in front of the mirror admiring her outfit. She had ended up in a cute floral jumper that was the right combination of pretty, summery and functional. They had left the apartment together and stood outside on the sidewalk by Monique’s car. 

“Go get her, Possible, or don’t, you know, follow your heart I guess? Just know that I got your back no matter what goes down, even if it’s you on green girl,” Monique said with a wink. Kim turned beet purple just thinking about what she said.

“Mo!! You can’t just say that! I appreciate your support, but that’s definitely not gonna happen tonight,” Kim said, shaking her head. Monique didn’t miss the way Kim said “that night,” meaning there was the possibility of it in the future. She grinned, but said nothing about it. Kim was already nervous enough about whatever this was.

“Whatever you say girl, just know we’re besties no matter what,” Monique said genuinely. Kim smiled, feeling lucky to have Monique as her friend.

“Thanks Mo, and thanks for helping me with this. You’re a lifesaver and I owe you big,” Kim said. 

“Don’t think I won’t forget, you never know what kind of favor I’ll need from the girl who can do anything,” Monique said, hopping into her car. Kim waved goodbye as she drove off, checking her phone for the time. The clear evening air felt good as she walked to the restaurant downtown. Kim arrived exactly at 6pm. She had been to this restaurant once or twice, but it wasn’t one she frequented on her limited budget. It had upscale asian cuisine, which Kim always enjoyed. Really, anything with ginger in it was something she liked. The decor inside was mostly dark blue with red accenting and bamboo separating the dining areas. Kim sucked in a breath when she spotted Shego waiting for her.

Shego was dressed in tight black pants, her leather jacket and a deep turquoise silk top. Her hair had been carefully french braided all the way down her back. If Kim hadn’t known her so well, she wouldn’t have recognized her. She looked like royalty and Kim suddenly felt childish in her jumper. When Shego spotted her, a small grin spread across her face, simultaneously spreading a feeling of warmth through Kim’s chest. She felt better about her outfit, watching Shego look her up and down while she walked over to greet her.

“You look awfully nice this evening,” Kim commented.

“And you look considerably better than the last time I saw you,” Shego replied with a wink.

“Not my fault I was dying. I am feeling all back to normal now. Ready to kick your butt any time you want,” Kim said confidently. 

“Maybe later Princess, right now I’m starving,” Shego said. They sat at a booth off in one corner of the room, trying to be inconspicuous. While the bar owner was used to seeing Kim Possible there, she wasn’t quite so lucky in a lot of other places. It was a little hard to fly under the radar when everyone knew you saved the world every now and again. It would be even more difficult sitting with Shego, who stood out just as much, if not more. Their waitress seemed a little apprehensive, but said nothing as she took their drink orders from Shego.

“So, what did you order for me this time?” Kim asked, not recognizing the name of the drink. 

“A Ginza Spritz, it’s got gin, yuzu sake, shiso leaves and citrus syrup. It’s fruity, but still pretty strong. I got a Shochu with melon and citrus. It’s green,” Shego said happily. 

“Sounds interesting,” Kim commented. Their drink arrived and Kim discovered that she really did like what Shego had ordered her. “Wow, that really is green. It’s almost the exact same green as your plasma glow.” Shego took a sip of her very green drink and smiled.

“Yeah, almost. You wanna try it?” Shego asked, winking suggestively. Kim rolled her eyes, but took the glass. She took a tentative sip.

“That’s hella weird. I don’t know about that melon flavor,” Kim said. Shego shrugged, taking her drink back.

“Suit yourself. Maybe someday your taste will mature a little,” Shego remarked. A moment later their waitress returned and they ordered food. They talked for a while about current events and other more innocuous subjects until their food arrived.

“Holy heck, this is so good,” Kim said, digging into her ginger pork. Shego ate her curry and watched Kim, barely tasting it. After they ate, Shego ordered another round of drinks.

“That was good, I’m so full,” Kim said happily. 

“I’ve been here a few times, the food is always good and the staff is discreet. Can’t be too careful in my line of work,” Shego said.

“That I do understand, though I guess I’m a lot less likely to have the police called on me,” Kim said.

“Doy. You want to go for a walk? I don’t know about you, but I need to walk off some of that meal before we could even consider sparring. Plus, it’s barely 8 on a Friday night,” Shego said.

“Sure, that sounds nice,” Kim replied. Sounds romantic, is what it sounds, Kim thought, but she wasn’t too concerned. After the first 10 minutes all her anxieties about this had faded away. It didn’t really seem like a real date, which was a relief, and being around Shego was just nice in general when they weren’t on opposite sides of a battle. Kim had decided to just enjoy the night with her, wherever it went. Shego paid the bill, just like she had promised and they headed out the door. It was still hot outside even late in the evening, so Shego shrugged off her leather jacket as they walked.

“There is a park not too far from here, that would be a good place to walk around,” Kim suggested.

“Lead the way Princess,” Shego replied. She was enjoying her evening with Kim. The food had been good and the polite conversation had been nice. She low-key missed the physical closeness from the last time they hung out, but that had been an exception of a day in so many ways. She was relieved that Kim seemed to have not taken her little date slip up to heart. They arrived at the entrance to the city park just as the street lights were beginning to flicker on.

“I used to come here a lot freshman year of college,” Kim said. 

“It’s a cute little park, but doesn’t your campus have a pretty nice quad to hang out on too?” Shego asked.

“Yeah, it does. I hang out there a lot now with my friends from school and Ron when he comes to visit. I didn’t like it freshman year though,” Kim said.

“Why not?” Shego asked, detecting a hint of sadness in Kim’s voice.

“Watching everyone hang out with their friends just reminded me how alone I was,” Kim admitted quietly.

“You? Alone? You’re Kim Possible, how were you not mobbed by people wanting your attention? If I recall, you were always ms. popular in high school anyway,” Shego said.

“The first few weeks I was mobbed by people asking me about missions and trying to gain popularity just from being around me, but that didn’t last. They weren’t friends. I hated that Ron and I had gone to different schools and Monique didn’t transfer here until the next year. That was also right after the Lorwordian invasion, so I didn’t even have any missions for most of the year,” Kim explained. Being famous was a bit more isolating than I had expected, Kim thought.

“Yeah, the villain community kind of took a hiatus after that,” Shego said. She remembered it well. The world had been pretty chaotic and Dr. D and herself had actually helped to put it back together. It had meant no evil plots for nearly a year. And that had meant nearly a year without seeing Kimmie. It had not been her favorite year, even if she had stayed out of jail. She had kept up with her training, but without Kimmie to fight it had felt a little pointless at times. She had been so eager to get back to some semblance of normal that she hadn’t objected to Dr. D’s stupid plan for his re-entrance into villainy. If it meant she got to steal shit and fight Kimmie, she was in.

Their first fight had made Shego feel more alive than anything in the past year had. What she didn’t know was Kim felt the same way. She had been in a funk at school, missing her friends and overloading herself with work. She had gotten the call from Wade about Drakken’s latest plot she had been thrilled. Not that he was going back to his old ways, of course, but that she would get to fight a real challenger again. Shego was the only opponent she was interested in. The fight had been long and hard, both women throwing their all at each other. They both walked away with injuries and smiles on their faces.

“Why didn’t monkey boy come to visit you more often that first year?” Shego asked.

“Uh, because we broke up to go to separate schools? Ron was busy with culinary school and things took some time to go back to normal between us. They’re fine now thankfully, but for a while I was not his favorite person,” Kim said. She had regretted the way things had gone between her and Ron. In the end, it was definitely for the best. Kim loved Ron, she always would, but she wasn’t in love with him. He had moved on, and Kim was glad he had, but where had she ended up? A dozen dead end relationships that didn’t last and a weird crush on her arch nemesis? Yikes, Kim thought.

“Oh yeah, I still never understood that relationship,” Shego said with a shrug.

“It was sort of a relationship of circumstance I think looking back on it. Ron was my partner. No one else really got the whole mission sitch and we have known each other since preschool,” Kim said.

“Sounds safe and boring to me,” Shego said.

“Sometimes safe is a good thing, if you ask me,” Kim snapped.

“Hey, no reason to get upset. But you are wrong. Safe and comfortable are good feelings to have in a relationship, as long as there is more to it. You need passion and desire too. You need that exhilarating feeling that’s sort of like free falling,” Shego said thoughtfully. Kim listened, wondering even more about Shego’s dating life.

“What makes you such a relationship expert?” Kim asked. She eyed Shego’s face in the dim light, watching a slight blush pass over her cheeks.

“I never said I was an expert, we already talked about how dismal both of our respective love lives are. I’m just saying, you need balance or it isn’t going to work. You have to have the comforting and relaxing days interspersed with the days you just can’t keep your hands off of each other,” Shego said, suddenly thinking of how it would feel to have her hands on Kimmie.

“I’ve never had anything like that,” Kim whispered. Then a thought struck her. Wait, after last weekend, that’s sort of like how Shego and I are. Sure, instead of fucking, we’re fighting, but that is a kind of passion. And I wouldn’t mind having my hands on her a little bit more. Kim blushed deeply at the thought and looked away, a motion that was not lost on Shego. 

“I haven’t in a long time,” Shego said. Kim’s head snapped up.

“But you have had that at some point?” Kim asked. Shego looked at her silently until she began to squirm, then she turned away.

“Yes, I have,” Shego said. Kim was dying to ask who and when, but the finality in Shego’s voice cut her off. They walked in silence for a few more minutes. Above them the first stars twinkled in the sky. They walked until the park opened up into a large field. Kim glanced around, noticing that the few other people they had seen in the park had all but disappeared for the night.

“Why did you go back to doing evil shit with Drakken after helping to save the world?” Kim asked. They were standing shoulder to shoulder, almost touching.

“To keep you humble, Princess,” Shego said with a grin. Kim wasn’t buying it. “Plus, evil pays a lot better and my specific skill set is coveted in the villain community, not condemned.” And I was lonely too, Shego thought.

“Well, now is your chance to keep me humble, ready to lose?” Kim asked. She gestured to the empty area surrounded by trees and Shego nodded.

“Always so eager to fight Princess. Maybe you need to find another outlet for all that pent up sexual frustration,” Shego sneered, riling Kim up even more. She isn’t wrong, Kim thought, But damn, that kind of hurts! 

Shego’s heart just wasn’t in the fight this time. She had always enjoyed fighting Kim, but last week she had gotten to just hang out with her. It had been different. It had been nice, and now she felt a little unfulfilled just fighting Kim. It was still a good challenge and fun exercise, she just wanted more. She tried her best to keep her head in the fight, but she was slower than normal, barely avoiding Kim’s blows and never landing one of her own. 

“You okay Shego? You seem kind of off tonight,” Kim asked, breathing heavily. The match was going, but something definitely wasn’t quite right with Shego. Her moves seemed far less seamless than usual and her attacks were a little slow. Kim worried a little that Shego might be getting her cold, even if she had insisted that she didn’t get sick. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, just feeling a little tired,” Shego lied. She wiped the perspiration off of her forehead. “You should be more worried about yourself Kimmie,” Shego said, dropping into her stance and charging Kim. She was determined to make the best of this fight. If this was the time she got with Kim, then she would use it to its fullest. That, and she didn’t want Kim to pay too much attention to her lack of focus. The last thing she needed was Kim figuring out what was going on in her head. 

“That’s more like the Shego I know,” Kim said, dodging Shego’s attack without a second to spare. Kim went on the defensive quickly, but not quickly enough. Shego caught her with a swipe, throwing her through the air. Kim twisted, landing on her feet, and turning to block Shego’s next attack. Shego hit hard, not as hard as she could, but hard. Before Kim had been a step ahead of Shego, but something had shifted and now she struggled to keep up. Kim set her jaw and went at Shego with all she had. Shego saw the determination in Kim’s dark green eyes and it only fired her up more. A moment later, they both lay on the ground. Somehow Kim hand landed a solid kick on Shego at the same moment Shego had thrown her. They were both winded, gasping for breath.

“Uh, does that count as a draw?” Kim asked with a breathless chuckle.

“I guess it has to unless we figure out who hit the ground first,” Shego said.

“A draw it is then,” Kim replied, propping herself up on her elbows. The last bit of sunlight had left the sky. Kim stared up at the stars until her view was blocked by Shego. She smiled at Kim in a way that unnerved her. It wasn’t an evil or mischievous grin like she was used to. It was just a grin. Kim took her hand and let Shego pull her up to her feet. They retrieved their discarded items, neither really wanting to leave. They meandered a little back through the empty park in comfortable silence.

“Why don’t you light your plasma when we spar? I can handle it, I used to every time we fought,” Kim said. Shego held out her hand thoughtfully and lit her plasma just enough to have a dancing green glow around her thin fingers. She watched it thoughtfully, as did Kim. It lit up the night air with an odd crackle that Kim recognized well.

“Because I don’t need it,” Shego said simply.

“Rude,” Kim shot back.

“That’s not how I meant it. I’m not fighting for my life or my freedom when we spar Kimmie, so why would I need to use something that could really damage you or anyone else who might be around? It would also make it pretty obvious who I was if anyone saw us,” Shego explained.

“I guess. I just feel like you’re just playing with me sometimes,” Kim said.

“I mean, am I not?” Shego asked with a wink. Kim rolled her eyes.

“You know what I mean, you jerk,” Kim said, elbowing her a little. Shego laughed.

“What’s got you so insecure all of a sudden? Where’s that better than thou attitude that I hate so much?” Shego asked teasingly. Kim shrugged, looking down at her shoes. Shego sighed. “Look Kimmie, just because I’m not using my plasma glow doesn’t mean I don’t take our matches seriously, okay? I do, I just see no reason to use unnecessary force that could put us both in danger. Fighting you is always a fun challenge,” Shego said. Kim nodded.

“I get it,” Kim said, watching the glow in Shego’s hand. “It’s so hard for me to imagine you without that, you know,” Kim commented. “Are you sure you were just a normal kid before that comet hit?” Kim asked. Shego looked down at her hand as well.

“It’s a little hard for me to imagine myself without my plasma glow anymore too. I really was just a normal kid, even had regular colored skin,” Shego replied.

“Firefly,” Kim mumbled.

“What?” Shego asked, looking at Kim.

“You’re like a firefly, even down to the greenish color,” Kim gestured to Shego. “Therefore, Firefly.” Shego stared at Kim for a good 30 seconds trying to process what she had said. Shego had always had nicknames for Kim, just to annoy her for the most part, but Kim had never called her anything other than Shego. It felt weird in a good way.

“I-firefly?” Shego asked again.

“You always have nicknames for me, why can’t I have a nickname for you?” Kim asked, sticking her bottom lip out and widening her eyes. 

“Oh god, not the puppy dog pout,” Shego complained, averting her eyes. “Whatever Princess, no matter what you call me I can still take you down,” Shego said. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, right now we’re tied. Tonight’s draw was just luck,” Kim said.

“Yeah, luck on your part,” Shego said. 

“Whatever you want to think, Firefly,” Kim said. Shego couldn’t help the blush that spread across her cheeks. Get your shit together Shego! One nickname and you’re weak in the knees? You need to get out more! Shego’s brain yelled at her. Shego glanced over at Kim, admiring the way the shadows shifted across her delicate features. She looked so perfect and fragile, even if Shego knew she wasn’t either. There was something about that aspect to Kim that drew Shego in no matter how she tried to resist it. She noticed Kim shiver slightly.

“Huh?” Kim startled when Shego draped her leather jacket around Kim’s shoulders. She looked over at Shego, but she was looking elsewhere. “Thanks, I didn’t even realize I was cold. I guess it cooled off a good bit when the sun went down,” Kim said, pulling the jacket snug around herself. She was drowned in the smell of eucalyptus and mint, feeling the residual warmth in the material from Shego’s overly warm body. 

“It’s fine, I keep myself warm,” Shego replied with a nonchalant shrug. Shego walked Kim back to her apartment building, she had made sure to park her motorcycle not too far from there anyway. 

“So, got any plans next Friday? Kim asked, standing outside of her building. 

“I hate to say this, but no, I don’t. How do you feel about trying that little Indian place on the corner of Main St. and North Elm?” Shego asked.

“I actually love that place and they’re not too expensive either,” Kim replied with a smile.

“I’ll see you there around 6 then, goodnight Princess,” Shego said, turning to leave.

“Goodnight Firefly,” Kim responded, watching the way Shego froze in her tracks for a split second before flipping Kim off over her shoulder. Kim giggled as she went inside, not realizing she was still wearing Shego’s jacket.


	6. Wait, What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright everyone, things are about to change between our ladies. I hope ya'll are ready for a little angst.

The following week was a busy one for Kim, her summer classes had started and now that Mo was back in town they were back into their routine of going to the gym every morning. Kim also still had work, leaving her barely any time to spare. Kim woke up in an irritated mood Friday morning, and it only got worse as the day went on. She needed to blow off some steam and hoped that Shego would be in the mood to spar. 

They met at the Indian restaurant and sat outside on the patio since it was a clear evening. Shego had noticed that Kim was in a bit of a mood and wondered what was going on. Kim herself was a little quiet. She wanted to enjoy her time with Shego, but one of her classes had got her thinking about their friendship. It was a class called The Ethics of Light vs. Dark and it discussed the interactions between opposite forces in different ways. Kim used to believe that there was good and there was bad when she was younger, but if anyone had proved that there was a massive grey area in between, it was Shego. Shego was an evil villain who had helped Kim save the world and herself on multiple occasions.

That week in class one of the guys had argued that you can’t outweigh evil actions by sprinkling in a few good ones here and there. Kim wondered if that was true? Was Shego really just evil? If she was, then Kim’s growing feelings for her were even more wrong than she had thought. Maybe she was just looking for a way to justify pulling away from something scary and unknown, Kim wasn’t sure. It had just made her wonder if any of this was a good idea. She couldn’t deny that she might be falling for Shego if she let herself, but could she allow herself to do that? She couldn’t stop going over and over it in her head, that was part of the reason for her foul mood in the first place.

“Some guy in one of my summer classes asked me out this week,” Kim said, trying to sound as uninterested as possible while scrutinizing Shego’s reaction. They had already ordered and were sipping their drinks while they waited. Shego did her best to maintain a neutral, if not bored, expression.

“Oh really?” Shego replied.

“Yeah, I don’t think he knows who I am yet. He was kinda cute, I guess,” Kim added. She hadn’t given him an answer yet, thought her gut reaction was to say hell no.

“Kinda cute? Wow, what a winner,” Shego said sarcastically.

“I don’t know, maybe he is more than that, I don’t really know him yet,” Kim said.

“Well, you’ve got the entire summer semester to get to know this kid,” Shego replied curtly, trying not to let her emotions betray her. Ugh, this isn’t really something I want to talk about with her. Kinda cute? Kimmie really doesn’t seem interested in guys, so why is she bringing this up? Shego thought. Kim noticed the shortness in her reply though, how could she not.

“I guess I do. Maybe I should try going on a date with him,” Kim tried again. Shego just nodded absently.

“It’s a free country Kimmie, do whatever you want,” Shego said. Kim wanted to say something else, but their food arrived and they started eating in silence. Now Shego was in a foul mood. If Kim did go out with this guy, she could be sure that her Friday night not-dates with Kim would come to an abrupt end. Maybe it would be for the best though? Maybe that was how it was supposed to be. It still grated on her nerves to hear about some boy asking her out. Who did he think he was? Shego could feel herself getting angrier. 

“I know that, I don’t need your permission,” Kim snapped back.

“Whatever,” Shego huffed. They ate the rest of their meal in silence. When they finished they headed outside, unsure of what to do. 

“Wanna spar or just call it a night, Princess?” Shego asked. 

“Let’s spar,” Kim replied. She was upset, but she didn’t want to lose her time with Shego even if they were grouchy.

“Fine,” Shego said. They walked back to the park without speaking. Once in the clearing, Kim didn’t even give Shego the time to get into her stance before charging her. They fought hard, each taking shots that were ethically questionable at best. Kim landed a hard kick into Shego’s shoulder, who then kneed her hard in the ribs.

“That all you got Kimmie? Come on, channel that anger you always keep bottled up!” Shego taunted, wiping sweat from her face.

“I’m not angry, you’re just annoying!” Kim shouted back. She was angry, but mostly at herself. Taking it out on Shego wasn’t what she wanted to do. 

“Wow, good one Kimmie. Really got me there!” Shego yelled. Dodging a kick that would have undoubtedly broken a rib or two. She gave Kim a good shove, using her momentum to send the girl tumbling into the grass. Kim quickly jumped to her feet, glaring hard at Shego, who smirked back at her. “Feeling a little weak in the knees? Is it that super okay looking guy who has you distracted?” Shego asked.

“Fuck off, at least someone is interested in me!” Kim shouted, noticing how dark Shego’s expression turned. She launched herself at Shego, but she just dodged.

“Great for you Kimmie, I’m sure you’ll have a great, boring life together. You know, settle down, have 2.5 kids, never orgasm. What a dream,” Shego snarked. Shego dodged another blow, kicking Kim’s legs out. She managed to jump, but not enough to avoid taking another tumble. Her anger was definitely getting the better of her and she couldn’t stop. All her anxieties and mixed feelings were too much to ignore.

“And you’ve got a better plan?? At least I have options! The only guy who isn’t absolutely terrified to be near you is Drakken!” Kim shot back, clipping Shego’s hip with a kick. Shego stumbled, but kept her stance.

“What makes you think I give a shit about what guys think of me?” Shego shot back. Kim stuttered to a stop, her face going red. Shego took advantage of the opening, pinning Kim against a tree with her forearm. “What makes you think I give a shit what anyone thinks of me?” Shego said darkly. Kim struggled against her arm, but couldn’t wriggle free. 

“Get the fuck off me,” Kim growled. Shego rolled her eyes, but released Kim, turning to walk away. Kim wasn’t about to let this go though. She grabbed Shego by the wrist, yanking her back and slamming her against the tree. Shego winced.

“Did I hit a nerve there Kimmie?” Shego purred.

“What the hell is your problem? If you have an issue with me, just fucking say it!” Kim shouted.

“My problem? You’re the one in a fucking mood tonight. Talking about boys and shit I don’t care about,” Shego cooly.

“But you do care, don’t fucking lie to me, you do care!” Kim accused, pressing Shego harder into the tree. Shego didn’t struggle, just looked down at her defiantly. 

“Read my lips, Princess, I don’t care,” Shego lied. She was prepared for Kim to argue with her, or even punch her, but what came next caught her completely by surprise. Kim was hurt by what had come out of Shego’s lips, but it had drawn her attention to them and how close they were. She had Shego pinned to the tree with her own body and she could feel the rise and fall of Shego’s chest. Kim licked her lips and before she could stop herself she leaned in and pressed her lips to Shego’s. For a split second Kim felt Shego freeze, and panic rose in the pit of her stomach, but then she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. Shego responded to Kim’s kiss, pulling her even closer. Kim did the same, bringing a hand up to cup Shego’s cheek, the other resting on her hip.  
Kim’s brain short circuited. All she could feel was Shego and it was like no kiss she had ever experienced before. She felt tingles that started at the base of her skull and spread throughout her entire body in a heat wave. It was like she was on fire. No boy had ever made her feel like this. No boy had ever made her want to jump them then and there. Shego did. Kim pressed even harder into Shego, who tightened her grip. 

Their kiss deepened and Shego tried not to shudder. Kim Possible was kissing her! Shego couldn’t believe it, nor could she believe how amazing it felt. She had kissed her fair share of people, both men and women, but this kiss blew every single one of those other kisses away. It felt like the thing she had been waiting for. She pulled Kim as close as she could, knowing that when they parted she was likely in for a meltdown of some sort. A moan escaped Kim and Shego thought for sure she would die right there. When they finally pulled, they were both panting.

“Woah,” Kim breathed. She pressed her forehead against Shego’s, feeling the heat from her skin melt her even more. Shego kept her eyes closed, savoring the way Kim fit in her arms. She wanted this so badly, she realized. It wasn’t just a crush that she had been cultivating, she was falling hard for Kim.

“Wait, what the fuck?” Kim said, her brain finally clicking back online. Her eyes went wide and she jumped back out of Shego’s grasp. “What the fuck was that!?” Kim shouted, even though she had been the one to start it. Shego took a deep breath, this was her chance.

“Oh, fuck me…” Shego whispered, running a hand through her hair. “I-I like you, okay?!” Shego shouted. She knew she should just shut the fuck up, but she couldn’t. She panicked. She wanted to say this nicely and show Kim that she could be soft, but her emotions were already getting away from her. She was watching it happen, powerless to stop herself. Shego tried to calm her voice. “I know we’ve had our differences, to say the least, but I can’t imagine my life without you in it. You’re stubborn and annoying and such a goody-goody and I like all of that about you. I like you, Kimmie,” Shego said. Oh god, oh god, oh god, what the fuck am I doing?? Shego’s brain screamed.

“Shego, I...I can’t,” Kim managed. She wrapped her arms around herself, wishing she could just disappear. “You’re a villain and I’m a hero. We can’t,” Kim whispered. She didn’t want to do this, but she felt like she didn’t have a choice. She had been content to dream of this moment, avoiding making the hard decision that she knew was the right one, but as the words came left her lips, she began to wonder if this really was right. It didn’t feel right. That kiss had felt more right than anything Kim had done in years.

Kim watched the vulnerability in Shego’s face vanish into the familiar hardness that she hadn’t missed one bit. Her eyes went from pleading back to calculating. It twisted a knife in Kim’s gut and she hated herself for doing it. Shego would only be more guarded than before after this.

“Just remember Kimmie, you made your choice,” Shego said darkly, and then she was gone, disappearing into the now dark park. Kim didn’t even realize she was crying until the streetlamps around her blurred. She wiped furiously at her eyes, trying to convince herself that she had made the right call. Her and Shego were from different worlds. They had different opinions and opposing jobs. Neither of their lives could continue like this if they were together. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go in her life at all. So why do I feel like I just made a huge mistake? Why do I feel like I just lost something that I can’t live without? Kim asked herself, tears still running down her cheeks. 

Shego bit down on her lip until she broke the skin, tasting blood on her tongue. She was numb to the pain of it. She heard Kim’s muffled sobs behind her as she had walked away into the darkness. She almost went back. She almost turned around and went back. She wanted to. She wanted to go back and pull Kim into her arms and comfort her. She wanted to tell her it was okay, everything would be okay. Fuck her own feelings, Kimmie was so much more important. But she couldn’t go back. Kim had made her choice and fighting her wouldn’t do any good now. It would only hurt more and Shego felt like an idiot for letting herself get hurt in the first place. She steeled her gaze and concentrated on the future while walking back to where she had parked her bike.  
If I just throw myself into work, that’ll fix this. If I have no time for feelings, no time to miss her, then I’ll be okay, Shego told herself. Time heals all wounds, right? It was stupid to fall for the one person I can’t have in the first place...wait, fall for? Oh god, I was falling for her and falling hard! Maybe this is actually a blessing? Shego thought, her stomach tying itself in knots. She was terrified of falling for Kim. Being attracted to her wasn’t ideal, but that was a far cry from actually falling in love with her. Attraction, especially sexual attraction was doable, but real feelings? That was scary. 

Shego barely stopped at her house that night, only staying long enough to pack a bag and water her plants, before heading to Drakken’s latest lair. She had a room there, as she always did, but it had gone unused lately with her weekly visits to see Kimmie. This time though, she was going to stay there. She would stay there until his latest project, whatever it was, she didn’t recall, was finished. Maybe he would need her to steal some shit, hell, she would even help build the damn thing if it kept her hands and mind busy. 

It has to be like this, Kim thought. It just has to. There isn’t a way it could work. This is how it has to be. It could never work, Kim told herself, walking home from the park. She was glad it was late, Kim would have been mortified if she ran into anyone in the state she was in. Bits of tree bark were tangled in her hair and there were tear stains down her cheeks. She was a mess. This is how it is supposed to be. I don’t need her to be anything other than my enemy. I should never have considered her to be anything other than my enemy. That was my first mistake. But another voice in the back of her head kept asking her why. Why did she have to sacrifice something that she really wanted for some greater good? Even if she didn’t need Shego to breath, she wanted her.  
Kim didn’t often think about what she wanted. She did so much just for the greater good, and she enjoyed it, but sometimes she wondered what she really wanted out of life. Did she really want to continue saving the world? The world needed her, so she did. She hadn’t felt like her job had denied her of much until now. If they were both normal women who met in a college bar then this could be everything she needed in her life. They could be together. They could kiss and hold hands and wow, I’m really gay, Kim thought with a little surprise.

“Guess that explains some of my lacklustre relationships with men,” Kim muttered aloud. Thinking back, she realized that she had probably always had a suspicion that she was at least bi. The same went for Shego. All that teasing hadn’t just been teasing, it had been flirting, and Kim had enjoyed it. I fucked up, Kim thought, I fucked up the first hope I had of being with someone that I had a real connection with, she concluded, unlocking her apartment door. 

In her rotten mood earlier Kim hadn’t even realized that she had forgotten to return Shego’s leather jacket from their last outing until she saw it hanging over the back of her kitchen chair. She went straight for it, dropping her keys to pick it up and bury her face in it. It smelled like rich leather, but even more than that it smelled like Shego. Just the hint of ashes and something burning mixed in with the cooling smells of eucalyptus and mint. This time she also noticed there was a slight smell of something familiar as well. 

“Elderflower,” Kim whispered, finally identifying the mystery scent. Shego had mentioned once that elderflower syrup was an ingredient in one of her favorite drinks. Kim thought about the past month and half, curling up on her couch with Shego’s jacket clutched to her chest. This felt like the worst breakup she had ever experienced and it was all her fault. She checked the time after a few minutes. It was barely past 10 on a Friday night. Monique picked up on the first ring.

“Hey girl, isn’t it date night with the queen of green?” Monique asked. Kim sniffled.

“Mo, I screwed it up. I screwed everything up,” Kim said pitifully.

“Uh-oh, what happened?” Monique asked. 

“I’m an idiot, that’s what happened,” Kim moaned.

“Spill girl, I’m sure whatever went wrong can be fixed if you want it to be,” Monique said. Kim took a deep breath. 

“Some guy in my Ethics class asked me out and I was in a mood tonight, so I told Shego about it and she got pissy and I got pissy and then we fought and she was insulting me and I was insulting here and then I kissed her and she said she liked me and I totally freaked out and told her we couldn’t cause, you know, I’m Kim Possible and she is a villain and then she left and I cried and...yeah,” Kim said in a rush. The line was quiet for a moment.

“How was the kiss?” Monique asked, still trying to put the whole story together. She was a little surprised Kim had been the one to kiss Shego, and not the other way around.

“Oh my god, Mo, it was like no kiss I’ve ever experienced. I felt like my entire body was on fire from the inside out. It felt so right. Why have I even bothered kissing anyone else when that was waiting for me all along. I never wanted it to end, but then it did and I freaked out,” Kim said.

“Why did you freak out? Is it just the whole hero/villain thing? Or something else?” Monique asked. Kim sighed.

“I don’t know Mo. I think I might have been using the hero/villain debate as more of an excuse than I previously thought. Originally that was my concern, but nothing is black and white like that, especially not Shego,” Kim said.

“Yeah, your girl is more black and green if you know what I mean,” Monique teased.

“You’re the worst,” Kim said.

“You’re welcome, now continue your story of self-actualization,” Monique said.

“The past month and a half have been so weird. I wasn’t unhappy before or anything, despite how dismal my dating history has been. But spending time with Shego made me feel a whole new kind of alive. It was like the adrenaline rush of fighting her combined with the feeling of a deeper connection that had so much potential. I think I’m actually falling for her, too bad I realized it after I made her hate me,” Kim said bitterly.

“If she admitted that she likes you, then I doubt she truly hates you right now. If I recall correctly, she can be a little emotionally...cut off, so she probably is feeling a little more than just ‘liking you,” you know? It was probably just all she was comfortable admitting. And then she got hurt when you so callously rejected her after kissing her…” monique trailed off.

“Don’t say it,” Kim warned.

“Just, damn Kim, no wonder she is pissed at you,” Monique said.

“I know! I told you, I fucked up! I freaked out and pushed her away because I was confused and stupid,” Kim said.

“Well, at least you don’t sound confused anymore. I’ll get back to you on stupid though,” Monique said.

“Thanks so much,” Kim said sarcastically.

“Anytime,” Monique replied.

“What do I do now? I don’t really have a way to contact her…” Kim asked.

“You might want to give her some space, she gets awfully...on fire when she is angry,” Monique said.

“I don’t even know if she’ll want to talk to me after she has cooled off a bit. She has every right to be angry and it’s likely that the next time we meet it’ll be on the clock,” Kim said.

“I guess you might just have to play this one by ear Kim,” Monique said. She really wasn’t sure if Shego would forgive Kim, she seemed like the type to hold a grudge. Something they have in common, Monique thought. She just hoped Kim didn’t overthink this and start getting herself angry too. That would definitely make things much worse between the two women.

“Ugh, I guess so. This is gonna suck. I’m going to have dreams of that kiss and nightmares of the look on her face as she left,” Kim wailed.

“I’m sorry Kim,” Monique said.

“Don’t be, I did this to myself with no one’s help at all,” Kim said.

“You might want to mention some of this to Ron, isn’t he coming home this week?” Monique asked.

“He is, and he is supposed to fly up to visit me next week after they’re all settled back in. I still haven’t mentioned that I was casually hanging out with Shego to him…”Kim said guiltily.

“Kim! That’s important, you know!” Monique scolded her.

“I know, I know. Ron just tends to freak out first and ask questions later in case you haven’t noticed,” Kim said

“That’s a fair point, but he is still your other best friend. You’ve gotta talk to him about this,” Monique pressed.

“I will when he comes to visit. I think this is more of an in-person convo than a phone call,” Kim said.

“Yeah. I feel like Ron won’t give a shit that you’re a little bit gayer than originally thought. He is going to totally freak that you’re gay for Shego though,” Monique said.

“Oh yeah, you’re not wrong there,” Kim agreed. They talked a while longer. Monique told Kim about her most recent date with a guy she met at the convention she had attended. 

“I heard a juicy bit of gossip when I stopped by to visit my folks last weekend, wanna hear?” Monique said.

“Uh-oh, gossip from our hometown? That can’t be good. With the tweebs away at early college, I would have thought things would be a little calmer around there,” Kim said. Her younger brothers had both graduated highschool early and been accepted into Ivy League schools where they could learn to professionally blow shit up. 

“Who in our class never left Middleton?” Monique asked.

“At least a few people,” Kim thought. Middleton wasn’t bad, just small.

“Come on girl, Bonnie!” Monique said impatiently.

“Really? I thought she and Junior got married and moved to one of his islands or something,” Kim said. She hadn’t paid a lot of attention to Junior since he and his father had dropped out of the crime business. They really had no need for it, they were rich as hell already.

“They totally did, but then SSS disowned Junior for spending all his money and they had to move back in with Bonnie’s parents!” Monique squealed.

“Oh man, seriously? That’s awful!” Kim said, trying not to giggle.

“Awfully funny, if you ask me,” Monique said. 

“Hope they enjoyed the honeymoon as much as they could!” Kim said with a laugh. When they finally hung up the phone, Kim felt a little better. She slept all that night with Shego’s leather jacket pressed to her chest.


	7. Is This How It Should Be?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally meant to post this chapter sooner, and I honestly thought that I had. I worked two double shifts last Friday and Saturday and came home around midnight and got on my computer just to post this. Oops! I'll post the next chapter much sooner, sorry!

The whole following week sucked. Kim tried to throw herself into her classes and her job, but all she could think about was Shego. She haunted her daydreams, incessantly taunting Kim for fucking everything up to the point where she began to feel herself get angry with Shego. Gah, I know I fucked up, but did she have to just go and vanish on me? And why the heck is she always teasing me anyway? No wonder I got so irritated! Kim would think, but then she would remember how she treated Shego that night and feel guilty again. It was terrible.

Kim needed a mission, Kim wanted a mission. Literally anything to distract herself from what was going on in her personal life, since school and work weren’t doing the trick. She nearly jumped on her Kimmunicator when it went off Sunday morning, signaling that she finally had a mission. She was thrilled until she heard what it was. She needed anything but this mission.

“It’s Drakken,” Wade said and all Kim could think about was Shego. Great, couldn’t it have been literally any other villain?

“Perfect,” Kim grumbled. “What’s the sitch?” She asked.

“I’ll send you the video he posted online, who knew Drakken could figure out Instagram,” Wade said, sending the short video clip to Kim. 

“I, Dr. Drakken, have a super laser death ray and I will use it to torch any satellites that I can find! If you’ve got a satellite up there, I would recommend contacting me with whatever bribe you can and I’ll see if I feel like sparing them!” Drakken’s face was way too close to the camera to see anything other than his blurry blueness, but right before he cut it off Kim caught a glimpse of Shego sitting in the background. She was in her usual green and black outfit, looking annoyed at Drakken. She glanced over at him and Kim could see how tired her normally bright green eyes looked at the edges.

“Hey, you’re still recording!” Shego shouted, rolling her eyes at Drakken.

“What?” Drakken asked.

“Hit the red button dummy,” Shego replied. Drakken’s face blocked the camera again for just a second.

“Oh,” Drakken said, and the video ended.

“Death laser ray?” Kim asked, Wade just shrugged.

“Super laser death ray. I mean, he has done lasers and death rays, it was about time he combined them,” Wade said nonchalantly.

“Do you think anyone is going to take his threat seriously?” Kim asked, grabbing her mission gear out of her closet.

“I can’t imagine that they would. The only plan Drakken ever executed was when he saved the world. His track record for evil sucks. It’ll probably self-destruct or something. Really, the only reason you’re needed is to make sure it doesn’t break in a way that is dangerous to the rest of the world,” Wade reasoned.

“Very true. It’s kind of sad. With something like that he could take down a lot of world communications. Too bad he sucks,” Kim remarked. She sat the kimmunicator down to change and grab the few tools she might need for the trip.

“I just feel bad for Shego,” Wade said. Kim froze in her doorway for a moment, her heart leaping into her chest. Oh god, does Wade know what I did to Shego? Kim thought in a panic.

“Uh, why?’” Kim asked, locking her apartment door behind herself.

“Shego’s skills are definitely wasted on Drakken’s projects. She is a master thief and one look at her school records tells me she is far from stupid too. Plus, fiery plasma powers. We’re probably lucky that she is content to just be Drakken’s sidekick. On her own, she could really fuck our shit up,” Wade explained.

“You have no idea how right you are,” Kim muttered. She hopped into the Sloth and revved the engine. “I missed you,” Kim said, running a hand across the dash. Walking everywhere had lots of advantages, but sometimes a good drive in her car felt almost therapeutic. As soon as she was out of town, she floored it. Nearly flying to the nearest airport blasting her music as loud as she could stand. The tweebs had replaced her stereo the last time she had visited, and right now she was really appreciating it. Wade had called in a favor, so as soon as Kim arrived at the airport there was a small private jet waiting for her. She climbed aboard and got comfortable after saying hello to the pilot.

“So, where exactly am I going?” Kim asked Wade, checking the Kimmunicator for coordinates.

“Looks like it’s a lair built into the side of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. Any explosions could cause a serious collapse or landslide if you’re not careful,” Wade warned.

“Perfect, not like Drakken’s plans tend to blow up or anything. When will he learn?” Kim asked. 

“My guess is never,” Wade replied. It wasn’t a long trip, but it was long enough for Kim’s stomach to tie itself in knots. She tried to get into mission mode and nothing else. It’s just a mission like the hundreds of missions I’ve done before, Kim told herself. Shego would be on the clock and so would she. Maybe they could get in a good fight, but it wouldn’t be like sparring as friends. Today they were enemies, possibly more than they were before after what Kim had pulled.

The mission was not off to a good start. Not only was Kim anxious as hell about having to face Shego, she pulled her chute a minute too late. Kim landed hard on the rough terrain of the Rocky Mountains, stumbling and twisting her ankle painfully.

“Fucking shit,” Kim said, tossing her backpack and chute aside. She tested her ankle, finding it was usable, but certainly not comfortable. “Perfect.” Kim looked around the mountainside. She could see for miles, and was happy to find no towns or cities anywhere nearby. If and when this place does blow, at least it’ll only endanger us, Kim thought. It didn’t take her long to find the secret entrance. It was really all the keep out signs that lead her to a big metal door painted like the brown rocks. Kim rolled her eyes. 

“You seeing this Wade?” Kim held up the Kimmunicator and Wade sighed.

“You know, it would have been pretty camouflaged without all the stupid keep out and no entrance signs everywhere,” Wade said.

“My thoughts exactly. Sometimes it’s like he actually wants to be caught,” Kim agreed.

“Well, don’t let your guard down too much Kim, he probably has a lot of synthodrones waiting for you,” Wade warned.

“Synthodrones are so not the drama,” Kim replied. She made short work of the security system on the door, making sure to take out the camera posted there as well. Once inside, Kim made her way down a few empty halls until she made it to a main atrium. She passed by a few groups of henchmen along the way, making sure not to disturb their card games and naps. The sides of the ballroom sized area were crowded with disorganized crates and boxes, but the middle was only occupied by a huge device that resembled one of her dad’s telescopes from the space center. There was a metal control panel at the base and Drakken was bent over it, pressing buttons and grunting in confusion. Kim was on the second floor and watched Drakken for a few minutes.  
“Shego! This control panel makes no sense!” Drakken shouted, slamming a fist into the panel.

“Chill Dr. D,” Shego’s voice drew Kim’s attention and her eyes quickly found the woman. She was reclined in a chair by another panel of switches and buttons, looking annoyed as usual. Shego put down her magazine and slowly got up, stretching as she did. Kim couldn’t keep herself from swallowing hard. That catsuit left so little and so much to the imagination all at once. Shego glanced up, directly at Kim, who ducked behind a crate and held her breath. There was no way Shego knew she was there, right? When Kim peeked back out again, Shego was next to Drakken at the main panel.

“See Shego? None of the buttons are in the right place!” Drakken whined. Kim rolled her eyes. He must pay her really well, Kim thought.

“That’s because your dumbass goons installed it upside down,” Shego said with a snicker. She grabbed the instructions from Drakken and flipped the sheet over. “See?”

“That’s what I get for going with ACME henchmen! Hench Co. is just always better,” Drakken said, shaking his head.

“Yeah, that’s definitely the biggest issue you have here,” Shego said sarcastically. 

“Hey, this plan is great! Nothing is going to ruin it!” Drakken declared. Shego looked unphased. 

“Wait for it,” Shego said, glancing up to where Kim was hiding again. Fuck, how did she see me? Kim thought, stepping out into the light. She put on her most determined face.

“Drakken!” Kim shouted. “You’re not going to get away with this!"

“Kim Possible! How are you always showing up here? Don’t you ever go to school?” Drakken asked. 

“It’s the weekend,” Kim said. She jumped off the second level, shooting her grappling hook into the rafters. She swung and planted both her feet firmly in Drakken’s chest, sending him tumbling across the room and into a pile of boxes that collapsed onto him. Kim landed on her feet, trying not to visibly wince from the pain in her ankle. 

“Shego!” A muffled shout from the pile of boxes meant that Drakken was okay. Kim stood up tall, face to face with Shego, who wore an almost maniacal grin. Shego cracked her knuckles.

“Kimmie, so nice of you to drop in. Missed me?” Shego asked. 

“I’m not here for you Shego,” Kim said. In her mind, she wanted to apologize. Instead, she was just angry. Shego’s gaze hardened at the remark, but she didn’t attack Kim. 

“Whatcha waiting for Princess? An invitation? I don’t have all day to babysit the both of you,” Shego said. “I’ve already wasted enough time doing that.” That hit a nerve in Kim and she charged Shego a little more thoughtlessly than usual. Shego easily dodged her attack. Kim stumbled just enough that Shego noticed. She narrowed her eyes, noting how off balance Kim was. Good, I hope this week has screwed with her head as badly as it did mine! Shego thought. Kim turned again to attack her and Shego saw Drakken sneaking back to the control panel. He looked around warily, waiting for someone to attack him, but nothing happened.

“Where’s the other one? Oh, what’s his name? Don?” Drakken asked.

“Looks like Kimmie is flying solo today, but what’s new?” Shego quipped. 

“His name is Ron!” Kim shouted at Drakken. Then she turned to Shego. “And solo is much better than the gig you’ve got here with blue boy,” Kim remarked. Shego scoffed at her.

“Whatever makes you feel better,” Shego said. 

“I got it!” Drakken shouted, drawing their attention. He punched in another code and the machine began to power up. Kim groaned, she didn’t want to turn her back on Shego, but without Ron she needed to stop Drakken herself. She backflipped over to him, kicking him to the ground before he could run away. 

“Now you just stay still while I deal with your sidekick,” Kim said. She wrapped the rope from her grappling hook around Drakken, before shooting it into the rafters and letting it pull Drakken up until he looked like a wriggling blue pinata. 

“Shego, get her!” Drakken yelled.

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Shego replied, but still dropped back into her fighting stance. Kim refocused her attention on Shego, forgetting about Drakken and the device.

“Alright sidekick, it’s your turn,” Kim said.

“I’m not as easy as Dr. D there,” Shego replied, letting Kim attack her again. She merely dodged and used some of Kim’s own momentum to send her tumbling. She did this a few more times with Kim’s attacks. It made Kim’s blood boil. Shego was just toying with her and she looked blatantly uninterested in the fight while she did it. She wasn’t even attacking back!

“Stop playing with me and fight me for real Shego!! Light up your fucking plasma glow and come at me!” Kim screamed.

“Okay Princess, but remember, you asked for this,” Shego said darkly. She lit both her hands and Kim shuddered. The light in the room wasn’t great and the shadows from Shego’s plasma fire shifted across her face in an eerie way. Kim barely had time to steady her stance before Shego was attacking her. Shego’s first plasma blast grazed Kim’s shoulder as she flipped out of the way, but the kick that followed connected with Kim’s stomach and sent her flying. She landed sloppily, her ankle screaming. 

Luckily, Kim recovered quickly, dodging another plasma blast with a sheet of metal she picked up off the ground. The plasma melted a glowing green hole into the metal and Kim used it to distract Shego as she dropped and swept her legs out from under her. Shego barely stumbled, flipping away from Kim gracefully. They went back and forth for nearly 10 minutes, each attacking harder than usual and taking hits that would leave considerable damage the next day. Kim found herself being pushed back into a corner, and as she did, she got more and more pissed. The look in Shego’s eyes was downright scary and Kim missed the softness she had seen in them the week before. Was this the real Shego? Or had that been? 

Kim had gotten so heated, so wrapped up in the fight with Shego that she hadn’t noticed the cacophony of alarming beeps and sirens coming from the laser death ray until the first explosion sounded. It shook the entire underground facility, nearly throwing Kim to the ground. She looked up just in time to see an elevator door close on Drakken’s worried expression. She hadn’t noticed that he had managed to free himself. She looked over at the machine and gulped. It was going to explode any second now and take them all out with it if she didn’t do something. 

“Kimmie run!” Shego shouted at her. It was an order, but it didn’t sound angry. It sounded scared. Kim looked up into Shego’s eyes and saw that all the hatred was gone from them. Kim pushed herself up and ran, but she ran toward the device. If she could just disable it before it blew...but that’s as far as she got. 

“KIM!”

Kim heard Shego scream, then everything seemed to happen in slow motion. She looked over just in time to see Shego charging toward her. Kim didn’t have time to react. Their bodies collided hard enough to knock the air out of Kim’s lungs as Shego shoved her out of the explosion's path. Kim had barely hit the ground when the device exploded completely. She watched the fire and debris hit Shego first, throwing her hard, and then it hit Kim herself, tossing her across the concrete floor like a rag doll. As the thunderous boom of the explosion echoed around them, Kim struggled to get any air into her lungs. Shego! Kim thought desperately.


	8. It Was Already Decided

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit shorter, but we do catch up to where the fic originally started. For me, this was the turning point in writing this fic, and the halfway point.

Present...

Kim’s choice had already been made the moment Shego had walked into that bar nearly two months ago and sat down next to her. She had only postponed the inevitable with her own stupidity. Carefully, she gathered Shego’s limp body into her arms, wincing in pain as her ribs screamed at her. GJ agents were beginning to pour out of the helicopters, so she had to hurry. She was surprised by how light Shego felt in her arms and absently wondered if she had lost weight since their last tussle. 

Kim frantically scanned the room for an exit of any kind. The hallway she had come in through was blocked by a mountain of debris, but there had to be more than one way into this place, right? Her eyes landed on something glowing just slightly through the dust. She squinted and realized it was a lit up red EXIT sign above a door.

“Seriously?” Kim said aloud. The exit signs are up to code, but the building itself was in an unstable abandoned mine?! Kim thought. She would never understand villains, but right now she wasn’t complaining. She made her way over to the door and tried the handle. It was unlocked at least, though she couldn’t get it to open all the way. It was a struggle to get both herself and Shego through it, but she managed it. Kim shut the door behind her just as the first GJ agents set foot on the floor of the destroyed atrium. 

She took a few shallow breaths and looked around. It was dark, the kind of darkness you don’t normally find. Kim began to shuffle blindly through whatever remained in her hip pack, looking for some kind of light when she noticed something odd. Shego was glowing. It was very dim at first, and Kim thought she had imagined it, but upon closer inspection she could see Shego’s skin glowing greenish through the holes in her bodysuit.

“Firefly,” Kim whispered aloud. “Boy, I sure do hope that’s your healing factor kicking in, cause you sure do need it right now.” Kim gently worked Shego’s weight onto her back, deciding that she would just use her human glowstick for light so she could keep her hands more available. Kim looked around in the dim green glow and realized that there were in a tunnel that looked like an old mine shaft. The rocky, damp ground beneath her feet gradually slanted up ahead of her. Kim hoped that meant it would lead her out of the mountain and away from the epicenter of the explosion. 

30 Agonizing minutes later, Kim could finally see some light up ahead. Her ribs ached and sweat stung at her eyes and the scrape on her cheek. Shego was heavy and hot against her back, still glowing just enough for Kim to avoid rolling her ankle for a second time. The exit was partially collapsed and filled with rocks, letting just enough daylight filter in so that Kim could dig through her bag and find something useful. She gently leaned Shego up against the wall of the tunnel, pulling out her laser lipstick. She quickly reduced the chunks of rock into gravel, pushing her way out onto the side of the mountain. 

Kim pulled them both out and collapsed on the ground next to Shego’s motionless body. Kim tried to steady her breathing again, but sputtered, coughing until thin lines of blood tinged saliva clung to her chin. She wiped her mouth and grimaced.

“That can’t be a good sign, can it Shego?” She asked with a forced chuckle. Shego still lay unmoving, aside from the weak rise and fall of her chest. Kim reached out, but then hesitated. If Shego were conscious, what would she want? Kim thought. She really wasn’t sure, so she settled for gently placing her hand on Shego’s. Kim almost pulled away, the heat rolling off of Shego’s skin scared her. “We’ve got to get out of here and to a medical professional,” Kim said, sitting up with another bout of painful coughing. It was getting harder and harder for Kim to breath as she pulled out her Kimmunicator and dialed Wade.

“Wade, I need a ride, and make it discreet,” Kim barked, as soon as Wade’s face was on the screen.

“Woah, what happened? Isn’t GJ there? I’m sure they’d be happy to-” Kim cut him off.

“Gonna need an alternative this time,” Kim said. Wade peered around her, catching sight of what appeared to be an unconscious Shego. He had talked to Monique recently, and she had mentioned something about Kim and Shego’s ‘complicated relationship,’ so in this moment, he wasn’t about to ask.

“Okay Kim, I’ll see what I can do,” Wade promised. Kim could hear him typing away at his computer over the Kimmunicator. She was glad it still worked, even with the screen cracked to shit. Thank heavens for Wade! Kim thought. A moment later Wade spoke again. “Alright, you’re in luck. Remember that toy maker you rescued? Well, there is an event at a huge toy store in Denver that he is in town for. Said he’ll happily loan you his private jet and pilot for the afternoon,” Wade said.

“You’re a lifesaver Wade, really,” Kim said, and she meant it. Her head was starting to get fuzzy and her vision swam as she made her next call. When the person on the other end answered, Kim almost cried.

“Mom, I need your help.”


	9. Recovery

Everything hurt. That was the first thing that Shego became aware of. Everything hurt and it smelled like...peaches? Maybe vanilla? Something eerily familiar and sweet. She drifted in and out of almost consciousness for a while, trying to grasp onto something to wake herself up. She heard movement around herself, but at some point that faded away too and everything was still. What finally pulled her out was the brightness of sunlight slanting across her thin eyelids. She slowly pried them open and blinked a few times, waiting for the room she was in to swim into focus. She expected it to be a jail cell or if she was lucky, the medical wing of whatever prison she had ended up in after Dr.D’s latest plan went to shit. 

Instead, it just looked like a typical bedroom. There was a wooden dresser across from the bed she was laying in with what looked like medical supplies and books strewn all over it. To her right was a window with the floral curtains mostly drawn, leaving just a slit to let in the beam of sunlight that had awoken her. There was a desk and a chair under the window with more books and random items, all on the verge of being organized. A bookshelf in the corner held more books and a lamp. There was a mirror on the wall with some photos stuck in the frame, but Shego couldn’t quite make out who was in them from where she lay. 

Shego wanted to move, wanted to get up and get the heck out of there, wherever she was, even if the lilac comforter and sheets were cozy as hell. She tried to move just a little, finding that her arm was attached to an iv line that she promptly ripped out. A few beads of blood dripped down her arm where the needle had been and she grimaced. It took her a good 20 minutes, but Shego finally hauled herself up into a sitting position against the headboard of the bed. Just that effort caused sweat to bead on her forehead. Jesus Christ, that explosion must have almost killed me! Shego thought, trying to take stock of her injuries. 

She had broken ribs, collarbone, wrist, a few fingers on her left hand, and what felt like a broken ankle and maybe a fracture in her leg. There were bruises and cuts, as well as burns across her shoulder blades and the backs of her legs. She could feel a few cuts where stitches pulled at her skin and she examined them carefully. Someone was taking care of her, someone who knew what they were doing, but who? She concentrated for a moment, panicked that her glow might have been suppressed and that was why she was so injured, but she could easily feel it thrumming just beneath her skin trying to heal all her injuries. She had probably been in much worse shape before and her glow had kept her alive working overtime. 

Shego laid her head back against the headboard, exhausted already. Wherever she was being kept, there was no one else around. The room and whatever was outside of it were dead silent. Shego wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not. Probably the best time to look around though, Shego thought. She gathered her energy and scooted to the edge of the bed, throwing the blankets off. 

“What the hell am I wearing?” Shego muttered, examining the too short pajama shorts and tank top. She slowly stood up, all her broken bones groaning in protest. Shego gripped the nightstand to keep from falling to the floor. The only other times she could remember feeling this bad were when the meteor first struck and that night she got thrown into the electrical tower and almost died. “Ugh, that explosion definitely almost killed me,” Shego said, taking a step forward. Her movements were unsteady, but Shego was nothing if not determined. She made her way over to the floor length mirror, examining herself and her injuries. They were healing, much faster than a normal human would, but she had enough of them that it wasn’t going to be as quickly as usual.   
Shego tentatively opened the bedroom door just a crack, checking the hallway for any signs of life. She found nothing and no one, just an oddly familiar hallway. She carefully made her way down the hallway, keeping herself as flat against the wall as she could. She reached the living room and balked. She had been here before, she recognized the couch immediately. Shego looked around in a rush, this was Kimmie’s apartment! Her cheeks went red. If this was Kimmie’s apartment, then she had been in Kimmie’s bed! She stumbled over to lean against the couch. Why the heck am I here and where is Kimmie?? Shego thought in a panic. She was distracted by the sound of keys in the lock of the front door. Shego tried to light up a plasma fist, but it only fizzled and sparked.

“Hey KP! Now I know you were supposed to come get me from the airport, but I saw that Drakken’s lair exploded in a big way yesterday, so I figured I would let you off the hook this time. Nice job nabbing that blue idiot, too bad Shego got away-Ahhhhh Shego!” Ron walked right in the door, stopping short face to face with a very angry looking Shego. He jumped, trying to shield his face with his hands.

“What the fuck are you doing here buffoon?” Shego had meant for her voice to sound more intimidating, but her entire body hurt down to her vocal cords and her mouth was dry. Ron picked up on the strain in her voice, relaxing slightly in his defensive stance.

“What am I doing here? What are you doing here?! This is Kim’s apartment! And why are you wearing her clothes?” Ron asked, now more curious than scared. Shego glanced down at the outfit. Ah, that makes sense, Shego thought.

“I, uh…” Shego really didn’t know how to answer that.

“What did you do with Kim!? Kim! Kim!” Ron started yelling.

“Princess isn’t here Stoppable, so quit screaming!” Shego snapped.

“If you hurt her I swear I’ll-!” Ron began.

“You’ll what? Annoy me to death? Jokes on you, I’m already half dead and I could still kick your ass!” Shego growled. She did not understand how Kim ever had the patience to deal with Ron, she certainly didn’t.

“Doubtful! I’ve been training, you know!” Ron boasted. Shego wasn’t about to back down, even if her only support was the couch she was leaning on. Luckily, the door opened again before either of them could do anything.

“Woah, woah, woah, let’s all just calm down for a minute,” Anne Possible said, stepping inside and shutting the door behind herself. She turned to Ron. “Ron honey, it’s so good to see you. I do hope you had a nice trip with your family. Would you be a dear and put these groceries away for me?” Anne asked, handing Ron the bag of items she had come in with.

“Uh, yeah, sure Dr. Mrs. Possible. Ron shuffled off to the kitchen, glancing back at Shego every few minutes.

“Now, Shego dear, let’s get you back to bed,” Anne said gently.

“Where’s Kim?” Shego asked, still clinging to the back of the couch for support. She had met Kim’s mother before only once, but the resemblance between the two of them was striking. 

“How about I explain everything as soon as you’re back in bed?” Anne offered, and Shego really was in no position to argue. She grumbled, but let Anne lead her back into what she now knew to be Kim’s bedroom. Shego laid back into bed, trying not to fully relax. Her eyelids already felt heavy again. Healing took all of her energy, but she wasn’t about to sleep until she knew what was going on. Anne quietly checked Shego over, examining all her stitches and vitals. Shego let her without complaint, she was a doctor after all. After she had finished, she handed Shego a glass of water. Shego drank it tentatively, waiting for an explanation.

“Well, I’m certainly glad to see you awake Shego, we weren’t sure if you had suffered any severe head trauma or not. It looks like Kim was right about your healing ability, that will be useful with all your injuries. It looks like they’re already starting to heal,” Anne said, holding a handheld x-ray scanner over Shego for a moment.

“Where is Kim?” Shego asked. Anne sighed, setting her tools down on the dresser and pulling the chair up next to Shego’s bed. She sat down and Shego realized that she looked terribly tired.  
“Kim is at the hospital, her injuries from that explosion were bad, though it sounds like they would have been much worse if you hadn’t been there. Kim will be okay, but for the time being she needs to stay there,” Anne said.

“What? How did I get here? How did Kim get out?” Shego asked. She knew Kim would be injured by the blast, but she had hoped it wouldn’t be that bad.

“From what Kimmiecub told me yesterday, you took the brunt of the explosion, saving her. She didn’t want to leave you there for Global Justice to nab you. She said something about them not letting you heal? I didn’t ask. She dragged the both of you out of that mountain and Wade had you airlifted out. I met Kim at the hospital and brought you here where GJ wouldn’t come looking for you. Kim told me to protect you like you had protected her. What can I say? I can’t say no to that puppy dog pout she does,” Anne explained with a chuckle.

“Oh,” Shego said. Kim had really dragged her half-dead ass out of that mountain just to keep her out of prison? Maybe Kimmie is beginning to come to terms with her feelings, Shego thought with a glimmer of hope. “Kimmiecub?” Shego asked, raising an eyebrow.

“What, you’re not the only one with nicknames for her,” Anne said teasingly. 

“Is Kim okay?” Shego asked quietly.

“She is stable and recovering. One of her broken ribs pierced her lung and it collapsed. She has a fractured ankle, but it isn’t badly broken. Otherwise, it’s just the usual scrapes, cuts and bruises. She will be fine,” Anne said. Shego let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Anne gave her a look and Shego wanted to squirm.

“What?” Shego asked.

“You genuinely care about Kim, don’t you?” Anne asked. Shego felt her cheeks heat up and focused her eyes on her lap.

“N-no, I just don’t want to have to find a new arch nemesis,” Shego said. Anne just laughed. 

“Well, I get the feeling Kim cares quite a bit for you as well,” Anne said, standing up. “I’m going to go talk to Ron and make some dinner. I’ll bring you some in a little while, but then I need to get to the hospital to check on Kim.” Shego just nodded.

“Thanks,” Shego whispered, just as Anne left the room. Shego quickly dozed off again.

“Uh, Dr. Mrs. Possible, what the heck is going on?” Ron asked as soon as Anne was back in the living room. He and Rufus had been sitting at the kitchen table furiously texting Wade, but hadn’t received a reply yet.

“I’m making dinner, would you mind helping?” Anne asked, opening up the fridge. Rufus and Ron exchanged a look before joining her in the kitchen. 

“Why is Shego here?” Ron asked again, cutting up some vegetables. “Man, KP needs to sharpen her knives, these are so dull.”

“Shego is here because she needed medical attention and I don’t think a regular hospital would take her without calling the authorities. Kim is at the hospital, the explosion yesterday at Drakken’s lair did some serious damage to both of the girls,” Anne explained more about Kim’s condition to Ron, who for once just listened.

“No wonder KP hasn’t been responding to my messages,” Ron said. He was glad Kim was okay, though he wished he had known sooner. “It sounds like I missed a lot this summer,” Ron said, hanging his head. Anne patted his back.

“Don’t feel bad Ron, you can go visit Kim in the morning. You’re welcome to stay here tonight, if you would like. I’m going to take some food to Kim and then head home for the night,” Anne said. Ron nodded, but then he remembered Shego.

“Uh, what if Shego tries to murder me in my sleep?” Ron asked. Anne just chuckled.

“I don’t think you have anything to worry about Ron, Shego can barely stand. Besides, her mind is on Kim,” Anne said thoughtfully. Ron tilted his head to the side, not entirely sure what she meant by that. They finished up dinner and Anne took some food to Shego, then left. Ron found himself lying on the pull out couch watching the cooking network with Rufus. Why hadn’t Kim told him about this mission? Why hadn’t she told him anything? It felt like Kim had left something important out of their conversations for the past few months and Ron couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with this situation.


	10. At Least We Will Be Okay

Kim hated hospitals. She hated all the beeping noises, she hated the incessant smell of disinfectants, she hated the roughness of the sheets and lumpiness of the beds, and it went without saying that she hated the food. She missed her own bed and all her fluffy pillows. Kim also missed being able to breath without it hurting. The doctors had said she should heal fully in 6-8 weeks, but that didn’t make her feel much better. Kim was flipping through the channels on the tv in her room, not looking for anything in particular, when her mom opened her door.

“Mom, I’m so glad to see you. Is that real food? Kim asked, her mouth watering at the thought of actual cooking. 24 hours of hospital food was just more than she could handle.

“Kimmicub, you’re looking much better than this morning,” Anne said, handing Kim the food.

“I feel a good bit better, the ribs are still painful, but I’ve got full use of both lungs now. Other than that, I’m just really sore. How is Shego?” Kim asked, taking a bite of the food.

“Shego was awake already when I got back to your apartment, you were right about her healing abilities, it’s quite impressive,” Anne mused. “I’m sure many a scientist has wanted to study her and her brothers.”

“I can’t imagine that going well,” Kim replied. She wanted to ask her mom more about Shego, but didn’t want to seem overeager either. 

“She was a perfectly fine patient for me today, even when she was awake. Oh, and Ron came by,” Anne said.

“Oh shit, I totally forgot I was supposed to pick him up today!” Kim said, smacking her forehead. 

“You weren’t even conscious this morning sweetie, I don’t think you could have remembered,” Anne replied.

“I still feel bad. I haven’t seen Ron in months. I should have texted him at least,” Kim said, looking for her phone for a moment before she remembered that it had gotten smashed. “Oh yeah, right, no phone yet.”

“Ron understands, he is staying at your apartment tonight. I told him to come visit tomorrow during the normal visiting hours,” Anne said. Kim’s eyes widened.

“Ron and Shego are both in my apartment...unsupervised?” Kim asked. “Oh god, I’m going to have to move,” Kim said.

“Don’t be so dramatic Kimmiecub, they’ll be fine. Shego wouldn’t do anything to upset you, and Ron, well, he is Ron,” Anne said. 

“Mom, Shego is my arch nemesis, most things that she does upset me and she does them on purpose!” Kim said. 

“If you are arch nemesis, why did she save you and why did you save her?” Anne asked with a knowing smile. Kim blushed.

“Just because she is my enemy doesn’t mean I can’t still be empathetic toward her,” Kim tried.

“No, it doesn’t, but Kim, this isn’t that. I already spoke with Shego, and it’s clear that she cares much more deeply for you than empathy. Do you feel the same?” Anne asked, pretty sure she already knew the answer. Kim set her food down on the table next to her bed and looked down at her hands, fiddling with the tape on her iv line.

“I…” Kim trailed off, unsure of what to say. Her mom reached out and took her hand gently.

“Kim, you know your father and I don’t care who you date as long as you’re happy,” Anne said.

“Mom, I think...I think I’m falling for Shego and it totally freaked me out,” Kim admitted. She went on to explain how she had actually been hanging out with Shego and everything that had transpired leading to the explosion at the lair. Her mom just nodded along, listening intently.

“Why doesn’t Princess have a tv in her bedroom?” Shego asked a surprised Ron. She had woken up around 8pm again and had gotten bored just laying in bed. She could hear the tv out in the living room and assumed it was probably Ron still there. Shego had wrapped herself up in the same grey blanket Kim had cuddled under on her couch a few weeks ago and after an uncomfortable trip to the bathroom, had decided to check what Ron was watching. He stared up at her, looking one part nervous and one part confused.

“Uh, I don’t know. KP has never had a tv in her bedroom, not even back at her parent’s house,” Ron replied. He considered Shego for a moment. He had been too caught off guard before to notice, but now he saw how tired and beat up she looked. Anne was right, Shego wasn’t a threat at the moment, so Ron scooted over. “Wanna join?” He asked. Shego stared at him for a second, then shrugged.

“What the hell, not like I can do anything else stuck here,” Shego said, sitting down gingerly on the opposite end of the couch. Kim’s end of the couch. Rufus stared at her from inside a bowl of cheez-puffs. She glared back at him and he sunk a little deeper into the snacks with a squeak. Ron flipped channels before settling on another cooking show. 

“It’s weird seeing you in Kim’s pajamas,” Ron said.

“Trust me, it’s weird being in Kim’s pajamas. It’s weird being in Kim’s apartment without her here,” Shego said.

“Wait, have you been here before?” Ron asked and Shego grimaced at her slip.

“Only once,” Shego said. “When Kim was sick a few weeks ago.”

“Why were you here?” Ron asked. There wasn’t any malice in his voice, like Shego expected, just confusion. Kimmie really needs to work on her communication skills, Shego thought.

“We spar on occasion, or we used to, and she missed our meeting so I dropped by to make sure she wasn’t dead or something,” Shego said, leaving out a few details.

“Oh, why didn’t Kim ever tell me that?” Ron asked. Shego shrugged, then regretted it because her collarbone hurt. 

“Beats me, I never understood your relationship with Kimmie. Maybe she just didn’t want to bother you with something trivial. It’s not like I matter to her outside of the whole hero vs. villain thing,” Shego said, feeling the stab of her own words deep in her heart. She really didn’t want to get her hopes up about Kim. Ron gave her an odd look, but stayed silent for a few minutes, which was so unlike him that it unnerved Shego.

“Kim and I have been friends since preschool, she used to tell me everything, but then we both moved and went to different schools. It just seems like she has drifted further away from me ever since…” Ron said. Shego rolled her eyes. She did not want to have this conversation with Ron. She did not really want to have any conversation with Ron, and yet here she was. Stuck in Kim’s apartment with the buffoon himself. 

“Ever since you two broke up?” Shego finished his sentence. Ron nodded.

“Yeah, we work better as friends for sure, but it still sucked. I’ll always love Kim, not in a weird way or anything, she is just my best friend in the world. I guess it shouldn’t bother me that she didn’t mention your sparring matches, I just wonder why,” Ron said. I have an idea of why, Shego thought.

“Maybe I’m not the person you should be talking to about this,” Shego said. Ron nodded.

“You’re right Shego, I need to talk to Kim. I’ll ask her about it when I go visit her tomorrow. Stupid visiting hours being limited,” Ron grumbled. Shego stared at the tv, not really watching. She knew going to visit Kim would be unwise for a number of reasons, but she wanted to see her to make sure she was okay. She also wanted to ask Kim why. Why had she saved her? Shego needed to know if Kim really did feel for her the way that she felt. 

“Christ, why wouldn’t you add butter to that sauce?” Ron interrupted her thoughts, gesturing at the cooking show that was on the tv. “Everyone knows it has butter in it! You can’t just not!” Ron whined. Rufus threw a cheez-puff at the tv, shouting his own gibberish at it. Shego caught herself almost smiling at their antics. Maybe that was why Kim liked Ron so much, he was just easy to hang out with, easy to laugh with. 

Oh, and Shego,” Ron said after a few minutes, eyes still glued to the screen. “You’ve always been more important to Kim than just being an enemy. She has plenty of villains to go up against. You’re special. Why else would she save you?” Ron said. Shego was surprised Ron had said it, and even more surprised when she had the urge to hug the obnoxious boy. She settled for a slight shoulder bump.

“Thanks Ron,” Shego muttered, unsure if he heard her or not. They watched tv for a while until Shego began to nod off. She let Ron help her get back to bed without complaint and quickly fell into a deep sleep bathed in the smell of Kim.


	11. A Conversation With Ron

“You know, Shego isn’t half bad to hang out with when she isn’t actively trying to light me on fire,” Ron remarked. He sat in the chair next to Kim’s hospital bed, devouring her untouched jello cup while she ate the omelette he had brought for her. He had gotten up early and made breakfast for himself and Rufus, even leaving a plate for Shego, whenever she got up. Then he had hurried to the hospital as soon as visiting hours started at 9am sharp. Kim looked better than he had expected, after hearing about her injuries from her mother. Her cuts and bruises were just starting to heal and she could move around using one crutch. The fracture in her ankle hadn’t needed a plaster cast, just a boot for when she was moving around.

“Yeah, Shego is…” Kim trailed off. They had talked all about Ron’s trip to Japan with his family. He had excitedly told her about getting to see Yori again and going to all the temples and a real festival. He had spent at least a third of it talking about the food and Kim was extra thankful he had made her something to eat other than jello. Kim knew though, that eventually she would have to talk to Ron about Shego. To his credit, he hadn’t asked yet, but she still owed him an explanation. “Shego is surprisingly nice when she feels like it,” Kim finished her sentence.

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Ron replied. Rufus was currently sitting by Kim’s feet flipping channels on her tv.

“Ron, I’m sorry I haven’t been completely honest with you about spending time with Shego,” Kim said.

“It’s cool KP, you can hang out with whoever you want. Just, why your super villain arch nemesis who has been trying to kill us both, mainly you, for the past 8ish years? And why didn’t you tell me?” Ron asked. Kim squirmed.

“It just started out as a coincidence. She ended up at the little bar near campus where I happened to be one dateless Friday night. We got to talking and kind of just hit it off. We did some sparring and it was really fun to fight Shego without the threat of something exploding or Drakken breaking the world, so we decided to make it a weekly thing. After that, I guess we became friends. I actually really enjoyed spending time with her, Ron. I know it’s weird, but it’s hard to find anyone who comes close to understanding what my life is like. I’ve got you and Mo does her best, it’s just hard to explain,” Kim said.

“She is like your reflection or something, I think I get it,” Ron said.

“Something like that. Anyway, most of our hanging out was her educating me about drinks and us fighting until suddenly it was much more than that. I know I should have told you, but I was so confused and worried you would be mad at me because it was Shego and I just freaked out,” Kim said. Ron cocked his head to the side.

“Freaked out about what?” Ron asked. There is no way to say anything subtly to Ron, Kim thought with a sigh.

“I like Shego,” Kim said. Ron just stared at her.

“Well duh, if you’re friends with someone you kind of have to like them,” Ron said, missing the point entirely.

“No Ron, I like Shego,” Kim said, hoping Ron would get it. He stared at her a moment longer, then his eyes got wide.

“Oh...OH!” Ron said. 

“Yeah, and she did like me back, but I don’t know if she still does,” Kim said sadly.

“So...you like girls?” Ron asked. Kim shrugged.

“I guess? I like her, so…” Kim replied.

“Okay,” Ron said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. “Wait, you said she liked you too? I didn’t know Shego liked anything other than evil and maybe bad magazines,” Ron said. Kim giggled.

“She certainly does have an attitude, but yeah, she likes things. How is she doing?” Kim asked. She had been wanting to ask as soon as Ron stepped through the door.

“Grumpy. Your mom said she was healing really fast, but still needs some time for all her injuries to fully heal. I...I think she misses you, Kim. When she first woke up all she wanted to know was where you were and if you were okay,” Ron said. Kim’s heart felt warmer for a moment before the inevitable guilt of how she had turned Shego down hit her again. 

“I’m glad she is healing. I wish I could see her, could talk to her. I owe her my life and an apology,” Kim said. “But I won’t be able to come home for a few more days.” 

“What happened?” Ron asked. Kim took as deep a breath as she could before delving into the part of the story she had left out before. She tried hard not to blush when she mentioned kissing Shego, despite the way Rufus squealed at her. Ron just listened, asking occasional questions. The more Kim told him, the more Ron could see that she really did like Shego a lot. He needed to pay closer attention to Shego and feel her out too, he decided. 

It was almost noon when Ron got back to Kim’s apartment. He had planned to stay the week with her anyway, it was just a bummer that she wasn’t there. That’s okay, she is getting better and now I have a mission! Ron thought. He opened the apartment door and Shego looked over the back of the couch at him. She looked better than she had the day before, less uncomfortable at least. 

“Hey Shego,” Ron said.

“Sup buffoon,” Shego replied, turning down the volume on the tv a little. “Thanks for the food, you’re a pretty decent cook,” Shego said.

“Well, I did go to school for it,” Ron replied, secretly happy to be complimented. It seemed like Shego was not one to compliment often. Ron went to the fridge and grabbed a bottle of juice before sitting down on the other side of the couch. Rufus was already asleep on a pillow on the floor.

“Kim says hi, she was really happy to hear that you’re awake and healing quickly. The doc said she should be able to come home in a few days. They wanna keep an eye on her lungs in case she gets an infection,” Ron said, watching Shego’s face intently for a reaction. Shego’s expression was unreadable.

“She must hate being stuck at that hospital,” Shego remarked. “I would hate it.”

“Yeah, Kim isn’t too fond of it. The food is terrible, but she does get treated well. Something about saving the world really endears people to you, you know,” Ron said.

“Hard pass, people are terrible anyway,” Shego said.

“Not everyone is terrible Shego,” Ron said. Shego shook her head.

“Why are you and princess like this?” Shego asked.

“Like what?” Ron asked.

“All seeing the good in people and shit. What’s up with that? Y’all literally fight evil all the time and somehow still think the world is full of good. How?” Shego asked. She really didn’t get it. 

“When you say it like that…” Ron said, thinking for a moment. “I don’t know, it’s like, everything works out eventually? Most evil schemes never come to fruition and so many villains are a lot less evil than they want the world to believe. Most of them are just selfish or greedy. Kim sees that too. Kim sees the good in you, and I trust Kim’s judgement,” Ron said. He watched Shego’s lip twitch ever so slightly before she turned to face the tv again, her long, dark hair falling across her face. Ron grinned, he had struck at something.

“There is no good in me,” Shego said quietly. Ron was about to respond, but Shego stood up from the couch. “I need to get out of here,” Shego said. Ron hadn’t noticed until then that Shego was actually dressed in some black leggings and one of Kim’s school hoodies instead of pajamas.

“Wait-” Ron got up to stop her, but Shego interrupted him, holding up her hand.

“Before you get your panties in a twist, yes, I’ll come back, okay? I just need some air, I hate being cooped up in here,” Shego said.

“What if someone recognizes you?” Ron asked. Shego was already putting on a pair of Kim’s converses, glad that they wore the same size shoe. She pulled the hood up over her head.

“Don’t worry, I know how to blend in. If I didn’t then I wouldn’t be such a good thief,” Shego said.

“Are you sure you’re healed enough to go out?” Ron asked, still hoping he could get her to stay. He wanted to trust that she would come back, he really did. 

“I’m fine, my bones knit fast,” Shego replied, then she was out the door. Ron sat on the couch staring at the closed door for a few minutes before he slumped back into it.

“Did I push too hard Rufus?” Ron asked, Rufus rolled over on his pillow. “I hope she comes back. If she doesn’t this will be just like the time I took care of her plant and killed it,” Ron groaned. By the time evening rolled around, Ron had cleaned just about every inch of Kim’s apartment and made at least 3 meals worth of food.  
“Still no Shego,” Ron said anxiously, glancing outside at the darkening sky. Did she really just run? Ron wondered.


	12. Something Soft

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally they're together again, if only for a moment.

Evening was the busiest time at the hospital. It was like as soon as the sun set, people began to hurt themselves at a much higher rate. Which meant that Kim got entirely ignored until the night nurses did their rounds at midnight. She could hear the bustle outside and had switched her tv off in favor of just relaxing in the comfortable darkness. Sleep did not come easy in her state, so she was dozing lightly when she heard the unmistakable click of her door opening. She opened her eyes, glancing around the room for whatever doctor or nurse had just come in. Her eyes landed on a familiar shadow in the corner.

“Shego?” Kim asked, switching on the lamp next to her bed. She struggled to sit up, stuffing a pillow behind her back. “Shego, what are you doing here? If they recognize you they’ll arrest you!” Kim whispered aggressively. Shego stepped into the wane light of the lamp. Kim couldn’t help the relief that flooded her mind when she saw that Shego really wasn’t dead. She looked so much better than the last time Kim had seen her and her movements indicated that she had already healed a lot more than Kim had.

“Chill Princess, no one recognized me and they’ll only find me if you’re not quiet,” Shego said. Her hands were stuffed deep in the pocket of Kim’s school hoodie.

“You look cute in my hoodie,” Kim said, clapping a hand over her mouth a second too late. Kim’s cheeks burned with embarrassment and Shego’s weren’t much better.

“Wow Princess, they must have you on some killer pain meds,” Shego said, trying to lighten the mood a little. Kim rolled her eyes.

“Shouldn’t you be resting in bed?” Kim asked.

“Unlike you, I’ll be fully healed in a few days. And I have been resting, orders from a certain Doctor Possible,” Shego said with a sulk. Kim giggled, wincing at the pain in her chest.

“Well, lucky you. I’ve got to wear a brace on my ankle for at least another 3 weeks, if not longer, Kim complained.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a heroic fucking moron, you wouldn’t have to do that,” Shego replied. 

“Ha, jokes on you, I broke my ankle before the explosion!” Kim said. Shego stared at her for a minute.

“That’s even worse!” Shego said. Kim stuck her tongue out at Shego.

“Shut up, we both survived. Even Drakken did,” Kim said.

“No surprise there, his only real skill is cowering when things get dangerous,” Shego said. They were both quiet for a moment. Shego pulled something out of the hoodie pocket and took a step toward Kim’s bed.

“Here,” Shego said, handing a small white box to Kim. She too it and looked at it curiously for a moment before opening it. Inside was a brand new phone, complete with a charging cord and purple case. Kim looked back at Shego curiously.

“Your phone got destroyed, right? I know hospitals can be pretty boring, so I figured you could use a new one,” Shego said, twirling some of her hair between her fingers.

“But Shego, this is a brand new phone! I can’t-” Kim began to protest.

“Don’t worry about the cost, money isn’t really an issue for me and you saved my ass in there. I had Wade make a clone from the last backup of your old phone, but you’re going to have to set up all the personalization shit since this one has a new OS,” Shego explained. Kim couldn’t believe it, Shego had not only gotten her a brand new phone, she had gone to the effort of contacting Wade to help set it up for her. Kim wanted to cry. She took a deep breath and set the phone down on the bed next to her.

“Shego, I’m sorry,” Kim said. Shego ran a hand through her hair and sighed.

“Kimmie…”” Shego said, but Kim shook her head.

“No, I really am sorry. I freaked out and I hurt you. I’ve been miserable not seeing you and spending time with you. Though our latest time together wasn’t ideal, I miss you,” Kim confessed. Shego pulled a chair up next to Kim’s bed and sat down. She had pushed herself more than she should have that day and her entire body ached, even if she refused to show it.

“I missed you too Kimmie. I didn’t mean to pressure you into something you weren’t ready for and I would love to say I’ve moved on, but I still like you,” Shego said honestly.

“I know, you literally sacrificed yourself to save me. That sends a pretty clear message,” Kim said with a smirk. 

“Yeah, maybe don’t spread that shit around. I do have a reputation to uphold, you know,” Shego said.

“I really like you too, Shego,” Kim admitted. A weight Kim didn’t realize she was carrying seemed to lift off of Kim’s chest when she said it out loud to Shego. She couldn’t help the blush that colored her cheeks though.

“I got the feeling. People usually don’t kiss like that when they don’t like you. Aside from hate sex, I guess,” Shego said thoughtfully.

“You’re the worst,” Kim replied, still smiling.

“So...do you want to try going on an official date with me when they release you from this place?” Shego asked. There was an uncharacteristic hint of hesitancy in her normally confident voice that Kim found endearing.

“Yes, I really do,” Kim said. Shego smiled back at her. A ruckus outside interrupted their moment, but it gave Kim an idea. “Hey, can you hand me my crutches?” Kim asked. Shego raised an eyebrow at her.

“What for?” Shego asked.

“To walk, duh. I don’t have my walking cast on right now,” Kim said.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on bed rest?” Shego asked, leaning over and grabbing the crutches from where they leaned against the wall. Kim tossed off her blankets and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She was wearing purple sweatpants and a black tank top. Shego quickly noticed she wasn’t wearing a bar and averted her gaze. Damn it Kimmie, how do you manage to look good in a fucking hospital room? Shego thought. Kim tucked the crutches under her arms and pushed herself off of the bed unsteadily. Shego saw her waver and quickly grabbed her arm to steady her.

“Thank you Shego,” Kim said breathlessly. Her lung capacity still wasn’t back to normal and deep breaths were uncomfortable. 

“What are you doing?” Shego asked.

“Just come on, there is a place I want to show you,” Kim said. She made her way to the door with Shego right behind her like a shadow. Kim opened it carefully and peaked out, glancing toward the nurse’s station at the end of the hall. Whatever had caused the noise had also distracted all the staff. Kim signaled to Shego and they headed down the hall as quietly as Kim could manage. A few minutes later, they exited the elevator into a hallway on the top floor of the hospital. It was mostly offices and they were entirely unoccupied at that time of day. Kim tried a door at the end of the hall and it opened up into what looked like a lounge room. It had a couple of large green and blue couches and chairs, some potted plants, a small kitchenette area and a flatscreen. Shego barely noticed any of that, more than half of the room was floor to ceiling windows that looked out across the entire town. 

Shego wanted to run over and look out the windows, but Kim wasn’t moving very fast, so she walked slowly over with Kim by her side. The lights of the city twinkled like stars and it reminded them both of their previous evenings spent together.

“How did you find this room?” Shego asked, putting her hand against the glass.

“My mom brought me here last year when I got my appendix removed. She said lots of hospitals have lounge areas that just go unused. I always liked this one because of the view. The hospital is on just enough of a hill that you look out over the city instead of through it,” Kim said. She watched Shego’s face. So many times in the past Kim remembered her face pinched with anger or plastered with a haughty smirk. Right now though, she just had a soft expression that made Kim’s heart flutter. Kim cautiously reached out and tugged on Shego’s sleeve. Without looking over at her, Shego removed her hand from her pocket and interlaced her fingers with Kim’s. Their hands were almost the same size, Shego’s fingers just slightly longer. Kim felt the heat from Shego’s skin and just knew her palm was going to be sweaty. She hoped Shego didn’t mind.

Shego really didn’t mind. She never wanted to let go of Kim’s hand now that she had it. They stood there for a while, just holding hands and watching the city before them. When Kim’s arms began to hurt from the crutches they sat down on one of the couches. When they first sat down there was a good foot of space between them where their clasped hands rested. When a nurse walked in an hour later they were both asleep, slumped into each other. Shego had an arm around Kim’s shoulders holding her tight, their hands still clasped. Even though the nurse woke Shego gently, she was lucky that the weight of Kim laying against her kept her in place or she might have gotten a plasma ball where she didn’t want one.

She carefully got up and without thinking about her own injuries, gathered Kim up in her arms and carried her back to her room. Shego tucked Kim into her bed and leaned her crutches against the wall. She wanted to linger a little longer, just be in the same space as Kim a little longer, but the nurse had insisted on escorting them back and was now lingering by the door. Shego didn’t want to cause any trouble, so she gave Kim a quick kiss on the forehead and left.


	13. A Pause

“Where on earth have you been?” Ron asked. The moment Shego had opened the door to Kim’s apartment, Ron had launched himself off of the couch to give her the first degree face to face. He crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. Shego just rolled her eyes and pulled off Kim’s hoodie. Underneath she was just wearing a plain light blue shirt that was just a little too big for her slender body and a black sports bra. It had been a long walk back to Kim’s apartment and all Shego wanted to do was go to bed.

“Look, I just went to get Kim something and I fell asleep at the hospital, okay? No crimes were committed mom,” Shego said. 

“Did you...walk to the hospital?” Ron asked incredulously.

“No, I took my hovercraft. Doy, of course I walked. This town really isn’t that big, you know. I had to go to a few places anyway and I’m pretty sure my motorcycle got blown the hell up just a few days ago,” Shego said. She grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and took a few sips. Ron watched her thoughtfully.

“What did you get Kim? Did you guys talk? Wait, visiting hours were definitely over! How did you get in?” Ron asked. Shego sighed. Her head was starting to hurt and all her injuries ached.

“I have my ways, okay? And yes, we talked,” Shego said, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. She glared at Ron, hoping he would get the message to just drop it for the time being. 

“You know, you’re not as terrifying as you used to be,” Ron said.

“I’m going to bed Stoppable,” Shego grumbled, pushing past Ron. She slammed the bedroom door a little hard and Ron winced. Rufus stuck his head out of the bag of chips he had fallen asleep in, looking between Ron and the bedroom door for an explanation.

“Well little buddy, at least they finally talked. I hope it went well. I guess I’ll ask Kim about it when I go visit her tomorrow,” Ron said to Rufus.

Shego was so ready to fall asleep, but she just couldn’t. She lay awake in Kim’s bed, listening to the faint sounds of whatever tv show Ron had fallen asleep to and thinking about Kim. She wasn’t really the type of person to get anxious or excited, most of her emotions were channeled into anger and sarcasm, so she was struggling a little with what it felt like to be with Kim. Cuddling with Kim on that couch had felt comforting in a way and exhilarating in another. Being that close to someone and not because she was fighting them was a little foreign to her at this point in her life. She hadn’t hesitated when she was doing it, being close to Kim seemed so natural. It was just a little weird to think about it afterwards. 

Who even am I anymore? Shego wondered to herself. So much of her identity depended on having Kim as her nemesis. They were different sides of the same coin, without that foil, who was she? A thief? A villain? A former hero with brother issues? Who was Shego?

“Shego! I’m so glad you put your number in my new phone! Are you okay? A nurse said you insisted on carrying me back to my room! I woke up and you were gone and I got worried that someone caught you. I hope you made it home safe <3”

Shego read and reread the message from Kim, watching the sunrise through the window. It warmed her inside even more than her plasma powers did. She had thought long and hard deep into the night about her identity and had finally concluded that it was probably about time for a personal renaissance. Dr. D was in prison for who knows how long, so she didn’t have any villain work to fall back into. Maybe it was time to mellow out a little bit? Being angry forever couldn’t be good for her long term health anyway. She would try, if not for herself, then for Kim.

“Dude, you got her a new phone?” Ron asked when Shego sat down at the table next to him. Shego only glared at him. He had at least stayed quiet until she had gotten herself a bowl of cereal. Shego poured some milk into her bowl and took a deep breath.

“Yes, I got her a new phone. Her phone got smashed during the whole lair exploding debacle. I assume she texted you,” Shego said calmly. Shego hated to admit it, but if she was going to be a better person, that probably included treating Kim’s friends nicely too. Even the buffoon.

“Yeah, she texted me this morning. She asked about you, wanted to make sure you got back here okay and stuff,” Ron said, taking another bite of his own soggy cereal. Shego grimaced.

“Did you let your cereal get soggy on purpose?” She asked, wrinkling up her nose.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, it’s better that way. Easier to chew,” Ron said, scrolling through something on his phone. Shego shuddered.

“Hard to believe you’re a chef,” she muttered, taking a bit of her own cereal before it got waterlogged. Why does he make it so hard to be nice to him?? Shego thought.

“Oh, it sounds like Kim will be able to come home tomorrow,” Ron said, putting his phone down. 

“That’s good timing, I was going to see if you could give me a ride home today,” Shego said passively.

“Are you running away from Kim?” Ron asked, raising an eyebrow at her. Shego rolled her eyes.

“No, I’m not running away from her. I literally just gave her a way of contacting me and asked her on a real date. I just don’t live here and three of us in this tiny apartment is a crowd. Besides, I need to water my stupid plants and actually wear my own clothes. No offense to Princess, but her shirts are a little tight on me,” Shego explained. Ron thought it over for a few minutes.

“Fine, I don’t know why, but I trust you. Monique is visiting Kim this morning, so I can give you a ride to...wherever you live in Kim’s car, before I go see her. Where the heck do you live?” Ron asked.

“You don’t have to take me all the way, I have a motorcycle stored at a garage outside of town that I can take most of the way. Just need to get to it,” Shego said, finishing up her cereal.

“You just have a spare motorcycle?” Ron asked.

“I’m stupid rich, why wouldn’t I? It’s just smart to have a backup vehicle stored somewhere nearby where your arch nemesis lives that you like to visit, you know?” Shego said.

“I guess?” Ron said. He hadn’t thought too hard about it, but Shego was very well off, he realized. 

“Awesome, thanks Ron,” Shego said, heading to Kim’s room to get her few belongings together, and possibly a sweatshirt of Kim’s that she wouldn’t notice was missing. Fuck me, I’m so falling for Kim Possible, Shego thought with a soft smile.


	14. Almost There

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another pretty short chapter, but I felt like I still needed to include it. We are almost to the end of the fic, so thank you to those that have stuck around!

“Monique! I’m so happy to see you!” Kim said, giving Monique a big hug. Monique returned the gesture, but gently. Kim had texted her about her injuries that morning.

“Girl, I am so happy that you’re alive! I’m glad Wade called me, I was getting worried when you didn’t respond to any of my messages. I can’t believe Shego actually saved your ass and then you saved hers. You two are either the perfect match, or gasoline and fire,” Monique said with a laugh. Kim blushed.

“Well, I guess we are going to find out,” she said. Monique’s eyes went wide.

“Oh no, wait girl, don’t tell me ya’ll are officially a thing now??” Monique asked. Kim nodded excitedly.

“She came to visit me yesterday and asked me out on a real date, after I’m out of here, of course,” Kim said. She had almost thought it was just a dream when she woke up that morning, but her new phone confirmed that Shego really had been there. She had been even more excited to find Shego’s cell number already in her phone. It was real and it was happening. She had another chance with Shego and she was determined not to ruin it this time.

“And when exactly will you be getting out of here?” Monique asked. She was happy for Kim, but still a little hesitant about trusting Shego with her bestie’s heart.

“The doctors said I should be released by this evening or tomorrow morning at the latest. The bone in my ankle is healing well and so are my ribs. My lung is working and not taking on fluid anymore, so they don’t really need me here for monitoring. I can’t fucking wait to sleep in my own bed again. Plus, I got so bored here the other night that I worked so far ahead in my summer courses that I’m practically done with them,” Kim said. Monique shook her head.

“Leave it to you to work ahead when you’re in the hospital trying to heal,” Monique said. “What about green homegirl, didn’t she get pretty beat the hell up too?” Monique asked.

“Yeah, she has actually been staying at my apartment with Ron,” Kim said.

“Uh, and your apartment is still there?” Monique asked. Kim laughed.

“Ron actually said Shego was fun to hang out with, so I guess things are going fine there? Or close to fine? I don’t know, Shego isn’t quite as explosive when she isn’t on the clock. Though, Ron did text me earlier saying that he was taking Shego back to her house today. Something about the apartment being too small for the 3 of us,” Kim said. She was a little sad Shego wouldn’t be there when she got home.

“I mean, that’s probably for the best. It’s a little early in your relationship to be living together,” Monique said with a wink.

“It’s weird Monique, I’ve known Shego for a long time, so how did I not see any of this before? She has been teasing me since we were both teenagers and she has never actually injured me badly, even though she was certainly capable. How did I miss all of this?” Kim asked. Monique shrugged.

“I don’t know Kim, I think you weren’t ready yet. She probably wasn’t either. Your chance wasn’t meant to be until now,” Monique said.

“Maybe you’re right,” Kim said thoughtfully.  
They talked until Monique had to leave. Kim was sad to see her go. At least she had a phone now, thanks to Shego. Kim quickly sent her a text.

“Hey Firefly, are you sure you’re healed enough to go home?” Kim asked. She knew how badly Shego had been hurt and her glow could only work so quickly. Her phone vibrated a moment later.

“Seriously? Firefly? They’re bugs, you know. Tiny bugs. And yes, I’m sure. I promise I’m not trying to get away from you. Your clothes are just too small and your apartment is not big enough for the 3 of us at one time,” Shego texted back. She smiled at her phone.

“Are you texting Kim?” Ron asked from the driver’s seat of Kim’s car. He had insisted on driving Shego all the way to her house after Kim’s mom had come over the check on her injuries. They were healing, her bones were knitting quickly, but not as quickly as she had hoped.

“Shut up Stoppable,” Shego snapped. Ron laughed.

“Tell her I’ll see her in a couple of hours,” Ron said. 

“Whatever,” Shego replied.


	15. First (Actual) Date

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally this was going to be the final chapter, but I decided I wanted to add a little bit more to the story.

Two weeks passed in no time. Kim came home and got back into her regular routine, minus the strenuous workouts. She went back to her classes and part time job. Meanwhile Shego finished her recovery in the comfort of her own home. The first night she spent there had been oddly lonely. She missed the vanilla scent of Kim’s sheets and even Ron’s presence. Her house was big and empty by comparison. She thought a few times that maybe she should have stayed. She settled for texting Kim. A lot. It became the first and last thing she did every day. They told each other good morning and goodnight and it was positively disgusting, but Shego’s day wasn’t complete without it. Finally, they were both well enough to go on their much anticipated real date.

“Wow,” Kim said, looking Shego up and down. It was a Warm Friday evening and the sky above them was a deep azure blue. Shego was wearing a plain black dress that looked anything but plain on her. It hugged all her curves in the right places and the deep v-neck showed off her cleavage just enough to make Kim’s mouth dry. Her leather jacket grounded the whole look in Shego’s usual style. God, she is so hot, Kim thought.

“I could say the same Princess, you look beautiful,” Shego replied. It was true, Kim had dug out her nicest outfit and then Monique had come over with a few of her own dresses eventually convincing Kim to wear her burgundy dress. Unlike most of Kim’s more childish print dresses, the one Monique had put her in was flowing and sexy. Kim blushed, she could feel Shego’s eyes on her bare skin and she liked it.

“Thank you, I’ve really missed you Shego,” Kim said. Shego smiled softly.

“I missed you too Kimmie, despite my better judgement,” Shego said with a wink. She opened the restaurant door for Kim. 

“This place is too nice Shego,” Kim whispered after they had been seated. Shego had already ordered them drinks that Kim didn’t recognize.

“Don’t worry Kimmie, my treat,” Shego said. This was a restaurant that she liked in the neighboring town. She had offered to pick Kim up, but Kim had insisted on driving. 

“I haven’t ever been on a date to somewhere this fancy, at least not one where I didn’t have to order off the kid’s menu,” Kim remarked.

“I’m sorry, what?” Shego asked, hoping she had heard wrong. Kim blushed and shook her head.

“It’s true. Before I made Ron get a job in high school that’s how most of our dates went,” Kim admitted.

“Wow. I’m glad it seems like her has grown up a lot since then. I can’t imagine doing that to a girl I was dating,” Shego said. “That’s definitely not how you get laid.”

“Hey, it takes more than one nice date for…” Kim trailed off, distracted by the idea of having sex with Shego. Sure, she had thought about how attractive Shego was, but she hadn’t let her mind wander all the way to sex. Until that moment anyway… Shego watched Kim’s expression change and wondered what was going through her pretty red head.

“I guess this is technically our first date, though you did kiss me on our last not-date,” Shego teased. Kim’s face nearly matched her dress, but she didn’t shy away from Shego’s gaze.

“I got a little ahead of myself, I’ll admit, but I don’t regret it,” Kim said. Shego was a little surprised.

“Really?” Shego asked. Kim rached across the table and took Shego’s hand in her own, giving it a squeeze.

“The only thing I regret is the hurtful things I said to you. I was wrong. I don’t care how different we are or how opposite our jobs may be, you’re much more than just my arch nemesis. I was just scared,” Kim said softly.

“I know Kimmie, and I understand why. I would be hesitant in your position too. I just,” Shego paused for a moment, “I just, oh god I’m terrible at this, I don’t do the feelings thing, I really don’t...but I can’t do that with you Kimmie. You bring out the fire in me, you make me want to be better than I am. I’m grossly happy just spending time with you, it’s the worst and I don’t hate it at all,” Shego said, concentrating on her and Kim’s intertwined fingers. Kim giggled.

“And I can’t lie to myself and say I would be happy if I didn’t pursue this,” Kim said. 

“Who knew, Kim Possible isn’t as straight as everyone assumed,”Shego said with a smirk.

“Ironically, I didn’t know,” Kim said. “In fact, I didn’t even really know you weren’t straight,” Kim said. Shego shrugged, taking a sip of her drink. 

“It’s not like I broadcast it, but the fact that you missed literal years of me flirting with you is impressive,” Shego said.

“It’s not my fault! I just thought you were taunting me! I never in a million years would have thought you would be interested in me,” Kim said defensively.

“I was taunting you, at first,” Shego said. “But come on Kimmie, those looks when we pinned each other to the ground?” Shego asked.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll concede that point,” Kim said. Their food arrived and they began eating. “So, at what point did the taunting turn into flirting?” Kim asked.

“Hmm,” Shego thought for a moment. “I would have to say around the time you graduated high school. You know, after that whole alien invasion catastrophe that nearly ruined my reputation permanently. That’s when I started to see you as more than just an annoying cheerleader who was always in my way,” Shego said.

“You know, GJ was convinced you and Drakken were dating around that time,” Kim said slyly. Shego nearly choked on her drink.

“I’m sorry, what the fuck?!” Shego asked. Kim laughed.

“Yeah, they were totally convinced ya’ll were a thing,” Kim said.

“Okay, well, that’s gross as hell. Dr. D is like, 15 years older than me, for starters. And a crazy blue man! I cannot express the level of no I feel about that,” Shego protested.

“And you’re totally out of his league,” Kim added, sipping her drink.

“Yeah, that too,” Shego said with a smirk. “Besides, there is this redhead that I like,” Shego purred. After dinner they went for a walk around the town. It was bigger than Kim’s university town and she had only visited a few times to go to specific stores, so there was a lot that she hadn’t seen. Kim was working up the courage to hold Shego’s hand when she felt Shego’s fingers close around her own. She glanced over to see Shego’s smirk and blushed.

“This is really nice Shego,” Kim said.

“It’s really not that different from our normal evenings hanging out, aside from holding hands like gross teenagers,” Shego replied.

“Hey, if you don’t want to hold my hand…” Kim said, loosening her grip, only to have Shego squeeze her hand tightly.

“That’s not what I said,” Shego replied.

“Besides,” Kim said, glancing around, “If this was our normal evening hanging out then I wouldn’t do this.” Before Shego could ask, Kim reached out, cupping Shego’s cheek and pressing their lips together. Just like their first kiss, sparks ran down Shego’s spine. Kim felt the heat from Shego’s body, but the heat that grew inside her own was unignorable. After a moment they pulled apart, cheeks red.

“Actually, you did that on a not-date too,” Shego pointed out. Kim just rolled her eyes.

“Way to ruin the moment,” Kim said, but she was still smiling. She wanted to keep doing that, keep feeling that. They walked around a while longer, looking into shops and enjoying their time together.

“So, what exactly have you been doing the past few weeks aside from working out and healing?” Kim asked.

“What do you mean? Like, have I committed any crimes or do I have like, a part time job while Dr. D is in prison?” Shego asked.

“I guess?” Kim said.

“Surprisingly enough, I do not have a part time job aside from crimes. Don’t need one,” Shego said.

“I guess that makes sense in your line of work. There is always evil to be done,” Kim replied jokingly. Shego was quiet for a moment before she spoke again.

“Maybe it’s time I retire? I mean, I’m not getting any younger and I’m rich as fuck. Besides, my boss is in prison and if I don’t break him out, who will? Seems like a good time to retire to me,” Shego said nonchalantly. Kim’s mouth fell open.

“Are you serious? Like, actually quit the whole villain thing?” Kim asked, still shocked. Shego shrugged.

“For the most part, yeah. And excuse you, I prefer supervillain. I might have a few little crimes just as a treat every now and again, but it’s not like I need the income or anything. If we’re dating, I don’t need to commit crimes if I want to spar with you. I’ve got your cell number for that,” Shego said, shaking her phone. 

“Does that mean...you’re my girlfriend?” Kim asked. 

“God Princess, you’re precious. Yes, if that’s what you want. I’m glad that was more important than the whole 180 career change I was suggesting,” Shego said, pulling Kim close enough to put her arm around her shoulders.

“No, I mean, yes, that’s what I want. The career thing is super important too, sorry, I just got distracted. I’m certainly not opposed to you quitting the supervillain thing at all. Maybe you could even help on a few of my missions-” Shego cut Kim off.

“Woah there, don’t push it, okay? I’m not taking up sainthood, just being less evil. Take it or leave it,” Shego said.

“I will absolutely take it!” Kim said happily. She wrapped her arm around Shego’s waist, enjoying being so close to her.


	16. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, this is the final chapter. This one was the hardest for me to write and I will start with a warning. While the rest of this fic is T-Rated, this final chapter is rated M, so if you're not feeling that, feel free to just not read it. The only real plot is at the very end if you want to skip to the last few lines. Otherwise, enjoy the smut!

Two Months Later…

Kim pressed Shego’s body up against the stone wall, holding her in place with a forearm against her chest. Kim felt Shego take a sharp breath and she grinned.

“What are you smiling about Princess?” Shego asked in a sultry voice.

“Oh nothing, just enjoying this,” Kim said, watching Shego’s expression as she slipped her thigh in between Shego’s legs, pressing her back even harder. Shego’s eyes widened and a low growl escaped her throat.

“You’re such a cruel tease,” Shego breathed.

“Alway have been, why stop now?” Kim said, leaning forward and nipping at Shego’s lip. 

“So true,” Shego slipped her hands around Kim’s waist and up her back, feeling the smooth skin under her fingers. She already knew every inch of Kim’s skin, every mission scar and freckle, but it still felt exhilarating. She made quick work of the clasp on Kim’s bra while Kim kissed her way down Shego’s neck. Shego couldn’t help the goosebumps that popped up on her skin at the feeling of Kim’s lips on her. 

Kim had loosened her grip on Shego, so she took advantage of it. She stepped forward, lifting Kim up, who automatically wrapped her legs around Shego’s hips. Shego carried Kim across the room to her bed, dropping her gently into the dark silk sheets. Shego was about to crawl into the bed on top of her, but Kim held up her hand.

“Uh-uh, off,” She gestured to Shego’s clothes. Shego grinned.

“That’s a two way street Princess,” Shego purred. Kim quickly discarded her own shirt and bra, she had kicked off her pants earlier leaving her in nothing but her black lace underwear. Shego licked her lips at the sight, just enjoying it for a moment before stripping off her own clothes down to her underwear. Kim sat up and wrapped her arms around Shego, pulling her down on top of herself. Kim couldn’t get enough of the feeling of having Shego’s naked body flush against her own. Her skin was smooth and hot to the touch, but in a way that made Kim want her even more.  
“Did you ever imagine this when you pinned me?” Kim asked breathlessly. Shego had started kissing down her neck, now she pulled back and looked deeply into Kim’s eyes. 

“Not exactly, you weren’t wearing these,” Shego whispered, hooking her fingers in the top of Kim’s underwear and pulling them off. She kissed her way down Kim’s chest, taking a moment to caress the soft curve of her breasts and play with one of Kim’s hardened nipples until she felt Kim arch her back.

“Mmmm,” Kim moaned as Shego kissed lower and lower. She squirmed as Shego settled in between her knees. She ran her hands gently along the insides of Kim’s thighs, relishing in the soft sounds that escaped Kim’s mouth. She kissed everywhere except where Kim wanted her too. She could smell Kim through her thin underwear, watching them get wetter and wetter.

“Shego,” Kim said in a husky whisper.

“Yes babe? Do you need something?” Shego asked innocently, nipping at the hem of her underwear.

“I need you,” Kim said.

“Beg,” Shego instructed, biting down on Kim’s soft thigh. Kim moaned, but she wasn’t about to give in that easily.

“Make me,” Kim challenged breathlessly. The smirk that Shego gave her made Kim wonder if she had just bitten off more than she could chew, but she didn’t have any time to dwell on that thought. Shego exhaled deeply just centimeters from her throbbing clit and Kim’s mind went a little blank. Shego placed the very tip of her tongue against the thin fabric and teased Kim.

“Oh god, I give, please Shego, I need you!” Kim begged. Shego grinned, licking her lips.

“That didn’t take very much Princess,” Shego teased. Kim shot her a desperate look. Shego quickly pulled off and discarded the wet piece of clothing in one fluid motion. She admired the view in front of her, Kim all splayed out on her bed, dripping wet just for her. This was more than she could have ever dreamed of having. 

“Shego, please,” Kim whimpered. 

“Don’t worry, I got you,” Shego said, leaning in and running her hot tongue across Kim’s clit a few times before diving into the velvety folds. Kim moaned loudly, arching her back off the bed. Shego grabbed her thighs and held her rocking hips in place, settling into a rhythm with her tongue. She would tease until Kim wriggled, then delve her tongue deep inside Kim, feeling herself get wetter and wetter with every sound Kim made. She needed Kim just as much as Kim needed her. It didn’t take long for Kim’s moans to turn deeper as the growing tension in her belly coiled. Suddenly she hit her breaking point, losing all control as the orgasm rocked her body. 

Shego slid up the bed to lie next to Kim, who was panting, covered in a light sheen of sweat. She gently brushed some of the hair out of Kim’s eyes. 

“You’re beautiful Kimmie,” Shego whispered. Kim turned her dark green eyes on Shego and the look unnerved her. It was filled with desire, lust, but also a deep adoration that Shego barely felt she deserved. Kim grabbed Shego’s wrist.

“My turn,” she whispered. Before Shego could react, she was on her back and Kim had removed the last bits of clothing from her body. Her instinct was to resist, but the feeling of Kim’s naked body pressed against hers erased any thoughts from her head, only allowing the base feelings and needs to press through. 

Kim bit at her neck, sucking on the skin in all the right places. She wanted to make Shego want her, wanted to tease her the same way she had been teased. She ran her hands all over Shego’s body, feeling the taught muscles just underneath her smooth skin. Fuck, she is so hot, I can’t tease her for too long, Kim thought. She kissed up Shego’s neck, then connected their lips in a hungry kiss. 

“Fuck me Kimmie,” Shego whispered into their kiss. Kim felt the tension in her belly return. She slid her thigh in between Shego’s, pressing into her. Shego gasped. Her clit ached with need. She was so close to begging Kim, when suddenly her thigh was replaced by slender fingers, caressing her. She couldn’t help the moan that escaped her mouth, her body shuddering against Kim’s gentle touch.

“Oh wow, you’re soaked Shego,” Kim said coyly, rubbing gentle circles around her clit before pressing a finger into her folds. Shego instinctually rocked her hips forward into Kim’s hand, her finger sliding deep inside of her. It was Kim’s turn to shudder, feeling Shego’s walls contract around her fingers.

“You’re so fucking hot babe,” Kim whispered, sliding her fingers in and out of Shego.

“Oh god, don’t stop!” Shego said, twisting her hands into the sheets as Kim picked up the pace. Kim felt her getting tighter and tighter until her orgasm crashed down into them both. Shego pulled Kim against herself, letting the intense waves wash her mind of any coherent thoughts. Kim melted into her, keeping her fingers inside of Shego. The feeling alone was enough to make her cum again, pressed into Shego’s thigh. After a few minutes, they rolled apart, laying on their backs side by side panting.

“Fuck, I love you Shego,” Kim said, her voice rough in her throat. There was a heavy pause in which Kim realized what she had just said and almost started to panic.

“I...I love you too Kim,” Shego said. Kim sat up and looked down into Shego’s face. Her expression was open and vulnerable, but she didn’t avoid Kim’s eyes.

“You do?” Kim asked. Shego rolled her eyes and propped herself up on her elbow. Her long hair fell in sweat curled waves across her shoulder. Kim’s eyes widened. “You called me Kim.”

“Pretty sure that’s your name, weirdo. And I do love you Kim Possible,” Shego said.

“I love you too, Shego!” Kim replied. 

“Guess you finally figured out why boys weren’t working for you,” Shego said with a smirk. Kim rolled onto her side so she and Shego were nose to nose.

“The problem wasn’t that they were boys, it’s that they weren’t you,” Kim whispered. Shego leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on Kim’s lips. She couldn’t have said it better herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who read this fic. I appreciate all of the support that I got and I hope you all enjoyed it!


End file.
